Matthew Drake, Paediatric Navigator of the Grampians Health at Home service, said the community donations helped kick-start the innovative new service that he works in. 

“Last Christmas we were fortunate to be selected as the project for our Grampians Health Christmas Appeal. Thanks to the generosity of 350 donors, we were able to purchase equipment that has helped us care for over 500 children in their homes and save over 1,500 nights in hospital, all in less than one year. 

“Community donations allowed us to expand the program rapidly. As we continue to develop, we will be able to care for children who are sicker, to provide more care throughout the region and to return families receiving specialist care in Melbourne back home," said Mr Drake. 

"At this Donor Thank You Event, we are honoured to be joined by one of our very young patients and their family. Their story demonstrates the importance of at-home care for families during the incredibly stressful time waiting for an organ transplant.” 

The crowd of nearly 100 community and business donors also heard from Jasmine Meier, mother of Lola Fennell, who is cared for by the Paediatric Grampians Health at Home Program. 

“Our daughter, Lola was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia at 27 days old. Biliary Atresia is a rare liver condition that scars and blocks bile ducts resulting in liver disease. At 29 days old Lola had an operation called a 'Kasai' procedure that restores bile flow by removing the blocked ducts and connecting the liver to the small intestine. Since then, Lola has had recurrent infections and complications resulting in over 15 hospital admissions at Royal Children’s Hospital and Grampians Health on top of a significant amount of outpatient appointments and procedures. She has also received extensive treatment and management from Grampians Health at Home program. She is now on the organ transplant waitlist for a liver transplant. “ 

Ms Meier said the Paediatric Grampians Health Programme has greatly supported her family. 

“The service has allowed Lola to be at home in between admissions while continuing to receive vital ongoing assessment, treatment, care and monitoring of her condition, significantly reducing the amount of time spent as an inpatient at RCH and Grampians Health. The program has allowed us to be at home as a family, and more importantly, it has allowed Lola to continue to thrive developmentally in her own environment. 

“The Paediatric Grampians Health at Home staff have been exceptional. The staff have taken time to connect and build relationship with Lola and also us as parents. The nurses have created a safe, engaging, and supportive space which has allowed Lola to have such a positive experience during medical procedures and admissions. The specialist paediatric training and skills has also ensured that many of Lola’s needs can be met within our home town. To have the access and support of this program has really made significant difference to us. As parents it has reduced our stress and anxiety during such challenging times.” 

“Thank you for your generous donations to the programme, it helped start a programme that has had such a big impact on our lives and the lives of many families in Ballarat,” said Ms Meier. 

Dale Fraser, CEO of Grampians Health, thanked the community for their ongoing support. 

“While we are a publicly funded health service, we rely on donations to help provide innovative equipment and services beyond the scope of our government funding, as quickly as possible. This event is our opportunity to thank our community donors, and to showcase the projects they have helped realise,” said Mr Fraser. 

“In the last year, fundraising has supported a wide range of projects including parent beds in our Children’s Ward, prostate cancer biopsy probes, treatment chairs for our Chemotherapy Day Unit and Podiatry Services, and the ongoing support of our Cancer Wellness Centre. The generosity of our community is fundamental in helping us deliver world-class public healthcare. 

“On behalf of everyone at Grampians Health, I would like to thank all of our donors, particularly during this cost of living crisis which many people are experiencing. Whether you donate to our annual Christmas Appeal, support us through one of the many community events, or are a business who generously supports us, we thank you.”