Raising funds for an Australian First Neonatal Clinic

Each year, over 600 newborns with serious medical conditions receive life-saving care at The Grace Centre for Newborn Care at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. In February, Grace's Gala will be held, in an effort to raise funds for a Follow-Up Clinic, the first of its kind in Australia.  

Grace's Gala, which was held for the first time last year, is now an annual event, raising funds to build a Neurodevelopment Follow-up Clinic and a Research and Education Centre. Parents and carers initially approached the Hospital because they knew that survival was only one part of the overall journey. They wanted to be sure that their children had access to follow-up services to help them meet their full long-term potential. Doctors and Nurses have now made this project their own and have been working hard with the community to raise the funds needed to make this dream a reality.

Only the sickest babies in New South Wales are treated at The Grace Centre for Newborn Care and now, due to the progress made in treatment over recent years, an amazing 98 per cent of these babies go home to their families. Many of these babies are taken from their mothers only moments after birth and transported to Grace for life-saving care.

Grace staff often stay in contact with the families and children as they grow and, just as importantly, with the families of those children who have not been so fortunate. Sometimes children come back to visit as teenagers, which is such a rewarding moment for those who cared for them as babies.

Dr Nadia Badawi, Head of Neonatology, is passionate about the role that Grace plays, "The developments made within Grace have meant that, for the most part, our babies go home with their families. However this is not always the case and it is very difficult when we lose even one little one - you can't just switch off. If these little ones didn't affect you, it would be time to move on.

"At The Children's Hospital at Westmead, we really love our work and we want to always be doing improving. We are committed to raising funds for a Follow-Up Clinic, which will assist us in understanding ways to further improve the care of our newborns."

Grace's Gala will be held at Luna Park in Sydney on 27 February, 2009. Tracey Spicer will MC the event and the band Funkstar will perform, with other acts to be confirmed closer to the event. Media opportunities are available prior to and in the lead-up to the event.

The Children's Hospital at Westmead is the largest paediatric centre in NSW, providing the most advanced care and treatment options for children from NSW, Australia and across the Pacific Rim. 

Established in 1880, The Children's Hospital at Westmead is a stand-alone public Hospital and registered charity with 3,000 staff working in 150 departments. Over 60,000 sick children and their families are cared for each year in a family-focused, healing environment. Funded by the NSW Government, The Children's Hospital at Westmead provides significant enhancements to services aided by the generosity of individual and corporate donors.  For more information visit http://www.chw.edu.au/

For further information contact: Julie Law, Media Assistant, T: 02 9845 3572   E: juliel1@chw.edu.au a.h. 02 9845 0000

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