Life-saving Surgery Performed before Miracle Bub Takes First Breath
In a dramatic start to life, Hannah Arden needed an operation mid-way through her caesarean birth to survive. RBWH Obstetrician Renuka Sekar delivered Hannah's head and shoulders, but kept the rest of the baby inside her mother, attached to the umbilical cord and placenta, to allow colleagues to perform the emergency procedure. Read more about miracle bub Hannah.
Autumn Appeal
The annual Autumn Appeal Newsletter is out now. It features news from around the hospital, stories from our supporters who are fundraising in the community and updates on the various research projects taking place on campus. Click here to view. Please consider making a donation to our Autumn Appeal. 100% of donations to RBWH Foundation are used to fund medical research and other vital initiatives at the hospital, so you can be assured that your donation will count.
Entertaiment Books Now on Sale
The 2013-14 Entertainment Books are now on sale through RBWH Foundation. For just $65, this year’s book contains $15,000 worth of 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for the best restaurants, cafés, attractions, hotel accommodation and travel. Order now online or by calling 07 3646 7588.
Milk Bank Milestones
In the four months since it opened, the RBWH Milk Bank has pasteurised over 181 litres of donor human breast milk from 22 screened and approved donors. Most importantly, it has been able to feed 31 premature babies with a further nine babies currently being fed. Providing this service has helped reduce the length of stay of preterm babies, improve their survival rate and reduce the stress placed on their families. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the opening Queensland's first hospital-based Milk Bank, in particular Lions Club of Noosa Heads, the facility's main supporter. If you would make a donation towards the ongoing running costs of the Milk Bank you can either donate online, download a donation form or call the RBWH Foundation on 07 3646 7588.
Milk Bank Project Twice as Nice
Three friends from the Sunshine Coast have joined together to capture the special bond that exists between twins in a fundraising project for RBWH Foundation. Nambour photographer Willow Smith and her best friends and fellow photographers Bambi Wixon and Susan Wall will photograph 100 sets of twins from all over Queensland to raise money for the RBWH Milk Bank. The Twins Project aims to raise enough money to purchase a new medical-grade freezer unit for the Milk Bank. Money will be raised through the sale of the Twins Project Book which will be a compilation of photographs in a beautiful coffee-table publication. To participate or make a donation, phone project manager Kim Grills on 07 5483 9898 or head to Facebook Twins Project 2013. Read the article that appeared in the Sunshine Coast daily here.
Research Grant Awards
Over $2.4 million in research funding was distributed to RBWH staff at a special ceremony sponsored by MDA National on Thursday 28 February. Assistant Minister for Health, Dr Chris Davies MP, was a special guest at the ceremony. He spoke about the important role of research in turning a hypotheses acquired through basic observation into a project with habit-changing results. Read more here.
Community Spirit in Collinsville
When Ben Nelson had a major burns accident at work and was rushed to the RBWH Burns Unit, the people of Collinsville - Ben's home town - watched and waited for Ben’s progress and recovery. They were amazed by the care and efforts from all of the staff at RBWH, not to mention Ben’s speedy recovery. The local Central Hotel joined forces with the local community and organized a fundraiser to help purchase equipment for the Royal. Late last year, this amazing group of people flew down to Brisbane to present the RBWH with 8 DVD players and a variety of DVDs. The DVD players have been presented to the Professor Stuart Pegg Burns Centre for training purposes, the Cancer Care Centre’s Education Room and Youth Mental Health for one-on-one training.
Studio Village Sewing Group
The Studio Village Sewing Group have been working tirelessly to make some of our smallest patients a little more comfortable. They have been knitting and sewing beautiful quilts, cardigans and bonnets for babies in the Neonatal Unit at RBWH. Members of the sewing group have generously donated their time and skills to the project. And retailer, Spotlight has generously donated the materials. Thank you to both the Studio Village Sewing Group and Spotlight.
Milk of Human Kindness
After five long years of planning and fundraising, The RBWH Milk Bank was officially opened by The Honourable Lawrence Springborg, Minister for Health on 15 November. The Milk Bank opened fully stocked with breast milk for babies whose mothers struggle to provide their own milk after premature birth. The first batch of breast milk to be donated to the Milk Bank – an incredible 43 litres worth – was supplied by one Caboolture mum, Debra Wolfe, whose son Bradley lived for just 94 days. Read more about how Debra somehow found a positive in a family tragedy here.
Cold Comfort for Babies
The average newborn spends much of the first few days of life snuggled in a mother's warm embrace. But tiny Takiera Chessells was literally put on ice for 72 hours after she was born blue, with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. Takiera was transferred to RBWH following her birth at the Caboolture Hospital. Doctors at RBWH used ice packs to put the little girl into a medically induced hyperthermia, a new treatment aimed at reducing her risk of brain damage after the traumatic birth. The treatment is part of RBWH's Brain Research Advances in Newborns Project which is investigating how hypothermia protects the brain also the heart. Read more about the project in an article published by The Courier Mail here.
Robert Bird Group Sponsors World-First Research
Robert Bird Group has partnered with RBWH Foundation to sponsor the Queensland Motion Analysis Centre (QMAC) over the next four years. Robert Bird Group's pledge of $320,000 will enable QMAC to embark upon groundbreaking research to collect 3D motion analysis data across the human lifespan.
The QMAC team will collect normative data from volunteers and data from premature babies and patients suffering burns, stroke, Parkinson's Disease, spinal injuries and Multiple Sclerosis. Movements will be evaluated from all angles along with 3-dimensional forces exerted on the ground and across joints and muscle activity from lower and sometimes upper limbs. Analysis and interpretation of this data allows problem areas to be identified and quantified to permit appropriate development (and later monitoring) of medical and/or surgical and/or pharmacological interventions as well as physiotherapy, prosthetics, orthotics and occupational therapy. Robert Bird Group's involvement will see direct benefit to premature babies and burns victims.
Wormald Partners with Skin Culture Centre
Following on from a 5-year sponsorship of the Burns, Trauma and Critical Care Research Centre, Wormald has continued their support of RBWH through a 3-year partnership with the Queensland Skin Culture Centre (QSCC). The QSCC and the Queensland Skin Bank are both based at RBWH and together offer an allograft skin bank (donor skin) and a skin culture service ("grown" skin) in one centre - the first of its kind in Australia. Wormald's support of the QSCC is closely aligned with their brand value of bringing a better quality of life to people injured in burns and other serious trauma accidents.
RACQ Comes to the P.A.R.T.Y.
RACQ is proud to be a sponsor of the Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) Program - an innovative program conducted by RBWH that aims to reduce road deaths and injuries among young adults. The company has committed to provide $300,000 over the next three years, representing RACQ's largest community sponsorship outside their rescue helicopter network. RACQ has a proud history of advocacy on a range of safety issues and its support of P.A.R.T.Y. will help to educate young people about the dangers of risky behaviour on the road. P.A.R.T.Y. takes high school students behind the scenes at the Royal where they can see first-hand the impact a car or motorbike crash has on a family. The students come away with a very clear message about road safety that one spilt second can change your life forever. Read more about RACQ's support of this life-saving program here.