News - 2002
Bandaged Bear Day 2003
What's friendly, cuddly, dressed in a groovy blue jacket and has a sore arm and a sore foot? It's Bandaged Bear of course!
Bandaged Bear Day on Friday 28 March 2003 is the major fundraiser for The Children's Hospital at Westmead. This year we hope to raise over $750,000 through the sale of clip-on Bandaged Bears, Bandaged Bear lollies and, for the first time in 2003, special Bandaged Bear Day pens.
Kids R Christmas
A special group of individuals will come together on Wednesday 4 December from 10.30am to hold the 3rd annual Kids R Christmas Magical and Fantasy Parade at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
The Kids R Christmas concept originated in the mind of Tim Lassig who wanted to do something great for sick kids and gathered an enthusiastic group of around 25 celebrities, professional entertainers, face painters, fairies, pirates, princesses and many others to tour the wards of The Children's Hospital at Westmead handing out balloons and gifts to the children.
Party Day 2002
On Friday 6th December, The Children's Hospital at Westmead will be throwing a Christmas extravaganza to give patients and their families the opportunity to celebrate the festive season in style.
At the Hospital not every child is well enough to get out of bed to attend a Christmas Party, so we bring the party to them!
Rafting TAFE students to help the Hospital
On Sunday, 3 November 2002, TAFE students from all around Sydney will be getting behind a special Raft-a-thon to raise money for the Hospital. This annual event has been running for five years and has expanded from its origins at Miller TAFE to include 23 metropolitan TAFE colleges which are all now involved in raising money for this event.
The students will be travelling along the picturesque Georges River, kicking off at Horse Rock Point, Georges River Bridge at Belgrave Street in Sylvania. The group will then paddle along the river stopping on the way at locations such as Oatley, Lugarno, Revesby Heights, Picnic Point and Georges Hall before coming to rest a staggering 32 kilometres later at Angle Park in Chipping Norton.
Cherry Auction helps kids breathe
On Wednesday, 30 October at 4pm, the Hospital will take delivery of a new Body Plethysmograph "Body Box". The "Body Box" has been purchased with the $40,000 paid for the first box of cherries and other money raised from sports memorabilia auctioned at the Sydney Markets.
The "Body Box" will play a vital role in the Department of Respiratory Medicine. It will allow medical staff to accurately measure how much air is in children's lungs and how well they can breathe. These measurements help us find out what is wrong with children's lungs, how badly affected their lungs are by their condition and the effectiveness of the treatments we use.
Would you like to be a Grandparent?
The Children's Hospital at Westmead is looking for special people to become Ward Grandparents to some of our special patients.
Ward Grandparents play a vital role at the Hospital. For some patients, Ward Grandparents are the main carer when parents are unable to be with them due to geography or other family commitments. They also provide respite to families who need a break from the care of their child.
The Children's Hospital at Westmead currently has eight Ward Grandparents, far fewer than we need. We would like to expand the numbers to meet the demands of children needing the attention of a Ward Grandparent.
Leadership Seminars
Leadership seminars have been organised by The Children's Hospital at Westmead for primary and secondary students. The seminars are designed to inspire students to make a contribution to their school and the community, motivate students to be great leaders in their areas of influence and empower them with effective leadership skills, help students to become positive advocates of the Hospital and to provide students with knowledge to make positive lifestyle choices.
Colour-in Ginger to help his sick friends
The Annual Woolworths Appeal to support The Children's Hospital at Westmead has been a huge success so far but there's still time to get involved in all the fun of this important event.
One great way for kids to get involved is to enter the Ginger Meggs colouring-in competition featuring a specially designed Ginger Meggs cartoon drawn by the famous James Kemsley. For just $2 kids can purchase a colouring-in sheet from their local Woolworths store and enter into the competition to win one of three Woolworths Ezi Banking accounts worth up to $300 each.
Enterprising Redeemer Baptist School students help sick kids
Students from Redeemer Baptist School at North Parramatta will hand over a cheque for over $10,000 to The Children's Hospital at Westmead this week, the proceeds from a special Design and Technology project undertaken by students in year seven and eight.
Malcolm Bromhead, a teacher at Redeemer Baptist School said that the idea to turn the Design and Technology project into a fundraiser for The Children's Hospital at Westmead was motivated by the fact that some of the students had been treated at the Hospital and that the students wanted to prove that Design and Technology could be used to help people.
If you go down to the woods today...you'll find the Teddy Bears' Picnic!
Everyone has a favourite teddy bear. Teddy Bears come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they all have in common is that they all love picnics! So why not spoil your teddy bear and bring him to the best picnic of all, The Teddy Bears' Picnic at the Sydney SuperDome on Sunday, 15 September from 10.30am to 4pm.
The Children's Hospital at Westmead hopes to raise over $100,000 from the Teddy Bears Picnic. This money will be used to treat over 50,000 young patients and their families each year, including those who require specialist treatment for orthopaedic and respiratory conditions and those children who spend time in our Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Active Kids
'Active Kids', a new program to increase physical activity in children is being piloted by Fairfield City Council in partnership with the Children's Hospital Institute of Sports Medicine (CHISM), The Children's Hospital at Westmead. The program will be officially launched at 12 noon, Tuesday 6 August at Prairiewood Leisure Centre.
The program has been developed in consultation between GPs from the Australian Medical Cooperative, Fairfield Hospital, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Fairfield City Local Government Area and staff from the Prairiewood Leisure Centre.
Week in the snow awaits kidney kids
On Monday 15th July at 8 AM a fantastic week's trip to the snow begins for 20 children receiving treatment for kidney disease at The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick.
Leaving by bus from The Children's Hospital at Westmead the children ranging in age from 8 to 18 years will travel to Thredbo for a week of skiing, snow boarding, horse riding, rock climbing and loads of other activities.
Winter burns alert
As winter settles in, doctors from The Children's Hospital at Westmead warn of the dangers from heaters, flammable nightclothes, hot water bottles and hot drinks. They are also concerned by the number of burns cases they see where inappropriate first aid has been administered, aggravating the severity and impact of the burn.
Immediate first aid will determine the severity and long term impact of a burn or scald. Remove clothing, apply cold water to the burn for at least 30 minutes and seek urgent medical attention. Butter, ointments or similar are not suitable first aid options. While cooling the burnt area, keep the rest of the child warm.
Rotary recognises the value of nurses
Holroyd Rotary Club, a great supporter of The Children's Hospital at Westmead, will recognise the contribution of our nursing staff in a special ceremony to be held on Monday 3 June at 6pm at the Merrylands Bowling Club, Oxford Street, Merrylands.
The Vocational Service Committee will follow on from the success of the Emergency Services recognition program by dedicating an awards night to nursing staff who contribute so much to the local community.
Two nurses, Helen Gosby and Gabrielle Kerslake, will accept their Rotary Vocational Award on behalf of The Children's Hospital at Westmead. There are approximately 700 nurses who play a vital role in the success of both inpatient and outpatient care at the Hospital.
Reconciliation Week
Staff and families at The Children's Hospital at Westmead will celebrate Reconciliation Week from Monday, 27 May to Friday, 31 May.
National Sorry Day forms part of this special Reconciliation Week. This is a chance for the community to acknowledge the impact of policies of forcible removal on Australia's indigenous population and is also an important time to express feelings regarding the treatment of our indigenous population throughout our history.
The Social Work Department will be setting up a display in the Hospital foyer to educate people about this important week. A special morning tea will also be held for Aboriginal patients, families, staff and visitors.
Early intervention - the best medicine for autistic children
An early intervention program to commence at The Children's Hospital at Westmead next week is set to extend the best possible care and advice for autistic children and their families. The program, run by the Child Development Unit at The Children's Hospital at Westmead in collaboration with the Autism Association of NSW, aims to work with families with children aged two to four years who are newly diagnosed with autism.
This model of intervention by the Autism Association is established and successful. This initiative by the Child Development Unit and The Children's Hospital at Westmead gives priority to children and families who are Hospital patients and who have had no opportunity for such intervention.
Adolescence - where health and education come together
On Thursday, 23 May, experts from the areas of health and education will be combining forces at a special Youth Health Forum. The Forum, organised by the NSW Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health, will be the most significant to date, as it looks at the relationship between positive education environments and opportunities and positive health outcomes in young people.
The opening address will be provided by the Hon. Brendan Nelson MP, Commonwealth Minister for Education, Science and Training. Minister Nelson will take the opportunity to launch Dr Leanne Rowe's book - "girl_X Recreated" which he describes as "instructive and makes you think about the need to talk to young people about their hope for the future".
First Australian data on type 2 diabetes in children
It is not known how many children and adolescents have type 2 diabetes mellitus in Australia. Anecdotal evidence has suggested for some time that the number is on the rise. The first Australian data to date on the incidence of type 2 diabetes will be released at a diabetes paediatric outreach meeting organised by The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
The data shows that between 1999 - 2001, 5% of the children and adolescents presenting with diabetes to The Children's Hospital at Westmead had type 2 diabetes. One third of those were aged 13 - 15 years.
The great challenge is how best to manage this disease which is associated with an increased risk of complications. In fact, in those who have been screened, three out of four had signs of kidney disease.
First paediatric nurse practitioner
The registration of the first paediatric nurse practitioner in the Emergency Department of The Children's Hospital at Westmead heralds a new era in the treatment of emergency patients which will have a positive effect on patients and their families.
The nurse practitioner plays a significant hands on role in the Emergency Department. Working in tandem with our doctors, the nurse practitioner provides advanced nursing care that previously was associated only with doctors. This will have a direct and positive effect on patient care and will help to reduce waiting times for some of our patients.
Sports Medicine Clinic
Announcing the establishment of the inaugural Sports Medicine Clinic for Children and Adolescents at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
The Children's Hospital at Westmead is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Carolyn Broderick as the inaugural Staff Specialist in Paediatric Sports Medicine. Dr Broderick will head the clinical services within the Children's Hospital Institute of Sports Medicine (CHISM).
The clinical service will focus initially on the treatment, diagnosis and rehabilitation of children and adolescents who suffer sports related injuries. The clinical service will also assist in the rehabilitation of children with chronic illness and disability back into exercise and physical activity. Activities within the sports medicine clinic will also include teaching and research into sports injury prevention in children and adolescents.
Give your mum a bear hug this Mother's Day
This Mother's Day you can give your Mum a lovely gift while also helping to ease the pain felt by many families of sick children. By purchasing a large, fluffy Bandaged Bear your money will go directly towards helping the families of around 50,000 children from across New South Wales and beyond who visit The Children's Hospital at Westmead each year. The Bandaged Bear is available at a special Mother's Day price of $30 plus $3.50 postage and handling.
Volunteers in Policing
Give something back and get a whole lot out of it!
Want to make a difference? Want to be involved in something that sets you out from the crowd? Volunteers in Policing (VIPs) are needed across Sydney - including The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
Why would The Children's Hospital at Westmead need Volunteers in Policing? We have over 28,000 admissions each year along with 500,000 occasions of service in our outpatients. That is a lot of parents, families and visitors each year who need help and advice inside the Hospital. Our VIPs listen and provide advice, ensuring that everyone gets the care and attention they need.
Our VIPs are there to point them in the right direction and help them along the way. They also play a significant role with our young patients by visiting wards and telling them all about policing - a great pick-me-up when life in the ward is getting a little dull. VIPs are also great at playing dress-ups with the kids!
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