Original article from The Advertiser – Wednesday, 5 Jun 2019 – Page 15
AN Australia-first program at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital will help families dealing with the heartbreak of their child being diagnosed with a terminal illness.
The Hospital Research Foundation will fund the Volunteer and Peer Mentor Program which will run from the WCH’s Paediatric Palliative Care Unit. Unit head Sara Fleming said there was a huge need for a program which provides support for families of children in palliative care.
“Most paediatric palliative care is in the home and there is so much support that a whole community needs when a child is dying,” Ms Fleming said.
“Parents and siblings are not only dealing with their child’s poor health and outlook, but their traditional network of friends, schools and workplaces are often unsure how to tackle such a sad and sensitive issue. Trained, professionally supported volunteers and peer mentors can help families in this difficult, long and often isolating journey.” Ella Stratton, of Henley Beach, will act as a peer mentor. She lost son Hunter a month before his 12th birthday in 2014, having struggled with health problems since he was a baby. “It is such an isolating and lonely time and often you don’t feel like you can talk to family and friends about nitty-gritty stuff of having a child so sick and passing away,” she said. “A coffee and a cry with someone who really understood helped me enormously.”
“Palliative care is not just the last couple of days or a week – it can be years, and it is a delicate, difficult time. It is about living well, as well as dying.”
Mrs Stratton, who with husband Jarrod also has sons Tex, 13, and Oakley, 10, found great solace in a friend from playgroup who had lost a child. She wants to offer similar support to families dealing with the grief of a terminal diagnosis.
Funding comes from donors and money raised in the Hospital Research Home Lottery.
Copyright © 2019 News Pty Limited
A couple of weeks have passed now since our Mothers Day Luncheon at the Hilton Adelaide – and to be honest we are just coming back to earth. It was such a fun day. The energy in the room was electric – right from the start.
Hosted by Rosanna Mangiarelli from Channel 7’s Today Tonight we were truly spoilt by the cast of Aladdin. We were swept away on the magic carpet listening to Graeme Iassko and Shubshri Kandiah.
Min and Jane from One Rundle Trading Co produced a beautiful parade showcasing some of their new winter range.
After lunch, the entertainment continued. Joel Jackson and Andrew De Silva got the crowd up on their feet dancing – they really had the room swinging. A huge highlight was Angela encouraging Ainsley to join them on stage – what a treat to have these three guys perform together.
We would like to thank everyone who was involved on the day and all our guests who came along and supported our luncheon with The Advertiser. We were so humbled by all the donations big and small, a massive thank you to the businesses, individuals and people who were so generous.
Stratco
Danacowanrichards – Artist
BOUNCEinc – SA: Marleston
TreeClimb
Tamara Huntington
Raw Pearls
Lexus of Adelaide
Nation SeaLink Kangaroo Island
Holidays of Australia and the World
LondonSkin
Palas Jewellery
Sidewood Estate
Dillions Bookshop
Mostly Kids Model Agency and Academy,
Golden Boy & Botanic Bar,
Estia Restaurant,
Britishmaid
Special thanks to the team from the Hilton Adelaide who looked after us wonderfully on the day.
So with all this support and hard work from the incredible Angela Condous from the Advertiser Foundation and all the gorgeous people who bought tickets and came along we have raised….
???? $75,000!!!!!!! ????
This is going to help so many SA families under the Paediatric Palliative Care umbrella.
So grateful for the volunteers who supported us setting up WCH Foundation and our beautiful HAS Foundation committee Zaahn Johnson, Sylvia Brazzale, Marie Kargiotis, Kim Mead Foord, Amanda Steel ?
We will keep you up to date on how the care packs are going for newly referred families and the other projects we are working on to help support these families going through a parent’s worst nightmare ?
We are looking into our next fundraising events and ideas so stay in touch, like, share and spread the love of the HAS FOUNDATION ??
❤️LIVE FOR THE MOMENT ❤️LOVE FOR A LIFETIME ❤️
If you were unable to attend on the day and would like to support our foundation, please feel free to visit our Donate page.