AMARILLO, TX -- The Ronald McDonald House Family Room is celebrating a tenth birthday at Northwest Texas Hospital today.

In the last ten years more than 8,500 families have used the family room while their children are in the hospital -- that's almost 200,000 individual visits.

The family room is a service provided by the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Amarillo, and is located just across the hall from the Pediatric ICU on the third floor. 

One official tells us having this room is like a home away from home.

"Many of the families have very sick children -- very tiny babies -- and they don't want to be away from them for even a moment, so they can slip away from their child's bedside, and they can come and have a cup of coffee or roll or talk to a volunteer," said Jan Reid, Ronald McDonald House Executive Director.

The family room is also a place where families and individuals can do their laundry, take showers, use computers, and meet with other family members.

They celebrated the birthday bash with cookies, punch, and of course families and friends.