The care delivered to sick children being treated in the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and Gympie Hospital is receiving a boost, with the Lott, through Golden Casket, donating vital paediatric equipment to the two Queensland hospitals.
The Lott, through Golden Casket, has donated $17,000 to Gympie Hospital to bring joy and excitement to the hospital’s paediatric ward through wall murals and distraction toys. The installation of the wall murals and addition of the distraction toys is set to create a dedicated and friendly space for children, aimed to ease the stress for patients and their families visiting the ward.
The Sunshine Coast University Hospital is receiving a $10,000 Tilt-In-Space Wheelchair which will provide critically ill children with the opportunity to spend time out of their bed which will greatly impact their recovery.
The donations are part of a $100,000 donation the Lott has made to the Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Regional Hospitals Wishlist, funded from unclaimed prizemoney.
The Regional Hospitals Wishlist aims to improve the standard of care provided to sick children in Queensland by delivering vital equipment to hospitals throughout the state and therefore reducing the need for families to travel to major cities for ongoing treatment and support.
Nurse Unit Manager of Maternity and Paediatric Unit at Gympie Hospital Shaneen Osborne said the wall murals and distraction toys will create a calming, child-friendly environment for Gympie families.
“We’re so grateful to be able offer a space that will help children through a stressful time,” she said.
“The murals and distraction toys will provide an invaluable distraction for children needing medical procedures in our paediatric wards.”
Kye Grant, Senior Physiotherapist in the Paediatric Critical Care Unit (PCCU) at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, said the Tilt-In-Space Wheelchair offers many benefits for critically-ill children.
“We’ve long had a need for this piece of equipment on the Sunshine Coast so we are extremely grateful to Regional Wishlist, The Children’s Hospital Foundation and Golden Casket for the funding,” said Mr Grant.
“The benefits to our patients include improved respiratory function, normalising sleep cycles and decreasing the risk of skin and pressure injuries.
“The opportunity to sit out of bed and early mobilisation has demonstrated improvements in short and long term functional outcomes for critically unwell children.
“There’s also the added benefit of giving patients and their families an opportunity to take a break from the clinical environment of PCCU.”
The Lott’s $100,000 donation, funded from unclaimed prize money, will supply a range of vital paediatric medical equipment to hospitals in Cairns, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Mount Isa, Rockhampton and Bundaberg.
Golden Casket General Manager Andrew Shepherd said the Lott was committed to supporting initiatives that focused on the health and wellbeing of families.
“We have a long history of supporting health initiatives across the country and we are proud to continue that tradition through our donation to the Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Regional Hospitals Wishlist,” he said.
“Our donation will help children living in regional areas receive quality care in hospitals close to their homes and their families, reducing the need to travel.”
Children’s Hospital Foundation Chief Executive Officer Rosie Simpson said the Lott and Golden Casket had been a long-time supporter of the Foundation.
“Golden Casket’s generous donation of $100,000 will allow us to expand our support for regional hospitals across the state to purchase much-needed equipment for some of Queensland’s sickest kids,” Ms Simpson said.
“Everything we do for sick and injured kids is made possible by the generosity and support of our donors, partners and the community.”
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In the 12 months to 30 June 2019, Australia’s Official Lotteries contributed more than $1.4 billion via state lottery taxes and donations to help community initiatives, such as hospitals, health research, disaster relief and education.