Once upon a time at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) we celebrated World Prematurity Day with our Twilight Storytime!

Staff and volunteers brought in their favourite children’s books to read to families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) to help parents develop quality relationships with their babies through reading aloud. Some favourites included We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

Parents were also given time to privately read to their baby with a gift pack of new books provided by our Arts in Health program while our wonderful harpist, Ilona, played music in the background.

The event, which was a collaboration between the WCH Neonatal Nurseries Developmental Care Group and our Arts in Health program, encouraged parents to feel comfortable reading aloud in the busy Hospital space to foster attachment and bonding with their babies.

Nikki’s twins Raffaele and Amalia were born at just 24 weeks and have spent over 100 days in the Hospital. The trio listened to Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose by Julia Donaldson as they enjoyed some cuddles.

Nikki and her new twins, Raffaele and Amalia, being read to in NICU.

Preterm and critically ill newborns requiring admission to intensive care units face a higher risk of neurodevelopmental, behavioural and learning problems. Reading to newborns in the hospital can help their cognitive development, as well as have a positive impact on parents’ behaviours and attitudes.

Meg Bater, Consultant Nurse Neonatal Growth and Development Program, says, “Research tells us that parents reading, talking and singing to their baby helps with their child’s speech, writing and reading skills later in life.”

“Music and reading have a special role during a baby’s hospital stay. They can help soothe and comfort babies during a very busy time in brain development and in a very busy environment.”

Nikki and her tiny babies Raffaele and Amalia.

Find out more about our Arts in Health program

The WCH Foundation’s Challenge 21 was back again in 2022 for its second year!

Between 19 September and 9 October, we saw a huge variety of challenges conquered for sick kids and their families cared for by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH).

Top fundraisers

There were familiar faces from 2021 like Matt and Grant who were back and forth for the spot of top fundraiser – both putting in a huge effort!

Matt took first place for the second year in a row. He pulled off another huge auction with donated goods from local businesses.

Olympic gold medallist, Grant, not only completed at least one hour of exercise each day for 21 days but had a grand finale challenge where he walked and ran 100km (continuous!). After 17 gruelling hours, Grant’s body decided it was time, but his lovely wife, Jules, completed the challenge by running the last 21km – giving a combined total of 121km.

Grant and Jules after their huge challenge.

Challenge 21 ambassadors

We also had some incredible ambassadors with lived experience out in the community sharing their stories and raising awareness for Challenge 21.

Stroke survivor, Teiana (15), made it her challenge to take 21 selfies with 21 celebrities. Dylan Alcott AO was top of her list and with some help from friends and the community, she got her wish!

She said, “To tell you the truth, I was a little emotional while telling my story. Dylan is a legend of the sport I love playing, he is a legend and a voice for those with a disability … these are passions we both share! Thank you Dylan for listening to my story.”

Teiana (far right) with her family.

Feeling inspired to help others and share her experience with Play Therapy during her stay at the WCH, 6-year-old Georgia encouraged her school to get involved in Challenge 21. Students from her junior school created 21 amazing t-shirt designs.

Georgia spoke to our media partner, 10 News First Adelaide, about how WCH Foundation funded Play Therapist, Chelsea, made her hospital experience better after she was diagnosed with two rare diseases at 18 months old.

She said, “She made me really, really happy and not so scared.”

Georgia being interviewed by 10 News First Adelaide.

Impact

Together, the Challenge 21 community raised over $121,000 for sick kids cared for by the Women’s and Children’s Health Network!

These funds will go towards initiatives like:

• transport for vulnerable families to get to and from hospital,
• meals for families experiencing financial hardship,
• sessions with a Play Therapist to reduce stress and trauma during a patient’s hospital stay,
• breast pumps for a new mother to loan when feeding a premature baby,
• making memories at our Laklinyeri Beach House for families receiving end of life care for their child.

Register your interest for Challenge 21 in 2023

Thanks to our major supporter Trading Metals.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects more than 125,000 Australians with approximately 1 in 480 children, adolescents, and young adults aged 0-19 living with type 1 diabetes in 2020. Currently, once diagnosed, T1D is an incurable lifelong disease.

In a recent study led by Dr Megan Penno, supported by the WCH Foundation, an investigation was conducted into the development of dysglycaemia (abnormally fluctuating glucose levels) using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in very young children being followed in the ENDIA (Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity). ENDIA is the first study in the world to explore how environmental exposures from pregnancy through early life may contribute to, or protect against, the development of childhood T1D.

Our study is the first of its kind characterising changes in glucose patterns using CGM prior to the clinical onset of T1D in children aged one to seven years at increased risk of the disease. The study is providing new knowledge as to when glucose levels are changing and it is important to understand this process in very young children as they often don’t present with classical symptoms until the condition has progressed to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

DKA is associated with long-term complications of T1D. The findings of our study will be instrumental in developing management plans for the growing number of young children at risk of developing T1D.

Study participant, Lawrence, using CGM.

For individual children, the use of serial CGM in the ENDIA study is already helping to inform caregivers about their child’s metabolic progression towards clinical T1D. Identifying unknown glucose changes will result in early detection of hyperglycemia, and hence earlier diagnosis of T1D, which will reduce the risk of presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is also likely that this will reduce the length of hospitalisation at the time of diagnosis and reduce the family trauma of being diagnosed with T1D.

Longer-term, linking the outcomes of this study with other ENDIA data will enable researchers to comprehensively evaluate factors that influence glucose control to devise new strategies to delay or even reverse the loss of insulin production. This study’s findings are particularly relevant in the current context of moving towards general population screening for T1D risk.

Learn more about our medical research 

The WCH Foundation has purchased a new piece of equipment for patients in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to help them participate in physical activity earlier.

The WCH admits approximately 500 patients to PICU each year.

Long-stay PICU patients are at risk of ICU-acquired weakness and survivors of critical illness are reported to have long-term physical, psychological and quality-of-life impairments. These collective impairments are referred to as Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS).

A MOTOmed Layson supine cycle is a piece of equipment to help patients at risk of PICS. Mobilisation techniques can be limited for critically ill children, so this cycle provides a safe and feasible way for patients to participate in physical activity earlier. It works similarly to an exercise bike, however patients use it lying down in bed and can participate even if they are very weak. The aim of the equipment is to reduce the prevalence of ICU-acquired weakness and, therefore, improve the mental health and wellbeing of patients at risk of PICS.

PICU Senior Physiotherapist, Millie Dynon, says, “This device is used to encourage early mobilisation and to reduce the negative impacts of a prolonged PICU admission, including delirium and ICU-acquired weakness.”

“Early mobilisation can contribute to a shorter stay in PICU and minimise the deconditioning of long stay patients. Therefore, the MOTOmed Layson can positively impact the mental health and wellbeing of critically unwell patients.”

Previous PICU patient using the new supine cycle in the rehabilitation gym with Senior Physiotherapist, Millie Dynon.

Supine cycle

The WCH completed a six-week trial of a MOTOmed Layson supine cycle with a loan device from the Royal Adelaide Hospital. It was used for three patients, and each one tolerated it well.

Millie said, “The device was particularly useful for a patient who was very limited in his mobility options due to his condition. He used the device on average twice a week and was able to compete against his previous rides to improve his performance.”

“We had very positive feedback from patients, staff and families during our trial. The parents of the patients who used it were also very satisfied with the device and happy to see their children participating in physical activity while limited by their illness.”

Following this positive trial, we have now purchased the WCH a MOTOmed Layson supine cycle of their own to use in PICU!

Previous PICU patient and Millie Dynon with the supine cycle purchased thanks to SA Power Networks Employee Foundation.

SA Power Networks Employee Foundation

Thank you to our friends at SA Power Networks Employee Foundation who funded the purchase of this equipment!

Our CEO, Jane Scotcher, says, “We are so grateful for the long-term, continued support we receive from SA Power Networks employees. Their generous contributions help us improve the health and wellbeing of women, children and families who are cared for by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and its associated Health Network.”

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to thank the amazing team at Helen Mayo House who provide inpatient services for parents who have significant mental health problems in the postnatal period.

23% of women admitted to Helen Mayo House have a clinical diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD is a severe mental health problem that is traditionally stigmatised, under-recognised and undertreated.

Women with BPD often become extremely dysregulated with the problems of new parenting, such as sleep deprivation, the demands of a new baby and the change in family dynamics.

Associate Professor Anne Sved Williams, Helen Mayo House Consultation Psychiatrist, says:

“Women with borderline personality disorder often have histories of problematic and/or traumatic parenting in their own childhood, and thus when they have an infant of their own, they are beset by two sets of problems: they want to parent in a different way than how they were parented but do not have an appropriate model in their heads, and they want to keep calm with their infants but cannot regulate their emotions.”

“Women quickly become suicidal, depressed and angry. This has ongoing known effects on their infants which become entrenched in behaviour and mental health difficulties as the child grows.”

ABC therapy

Women with BPD exiting Helen Mayo House, as well as community referrals, are offered mother-infant dialectical behaviour therapy (MI-DBT) which consists of 24 weeks of group therapy. This has shown excellent improvement in participants’ mental health and parenting confidence, however, interviews with the parents one year on have shown that they wished therapy went longer as they found it difficult to practice these newly learned skills once the program finished, and other techniques show that their relationship with their infant can remain compromised.

With funding from the WCH Foundation, a 10-week home visiting intervention focused on direct work with mother and infant has been set up to extend therapy past the already established 24-week MI-DBT program.

This mother-infant therapy, ABC (antecedents, beliefs, and consequences), has been shown to significantly improve relationships between mother and baby and create better developmental trajectories for baby. Chris Yelland, Helen Mayo House Senior Clinical Psychologist, explains that this extended therapy is a great addition to what patients are taught through MI-DBT.

She says, “In MI-DBT, participants learn general skills about managing their own emotions and relationships, and general information about being with their children and supporting their emotional and social development, but adding mother-infant therapy lets them add to that to address their specific issues and needs. After they’ve gotten the general information, they can address any problems specifically.”

Sally Watson, accredited Mental Health Social Worker, has been recruited to run the extended therapy and she says, “The families involved are very engaged.”

Associate Professor Sved Williams says, “It is expected that this additional therapy will provide the appropriate ongoing support and reinforcement of MI-DBT skills, as well as direct therapy for the mother-infant relationship, thereby setting a more positive life trajectory for the infants.”

World Mental Health Day

Associate Professor Sved Williams will be talking about the world of perinatal and infant mental health on Word Mental Health Day, 10 October, at a free lecture auspiced by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Register for free here.

Banner image: Sally Watson, Chris Yelland and Anne Sved Williams at Helen Mayo House.

Inpatients in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Eating Disorder Program are getting crafty to help with their treatment and improve their wellbeing.

For patients with eating disorders, undergoing treatment can cause high levels of mental health distress. During their hospital admission, they are supervised to eat and are monitored for an hour after meals.

To offer some distraction during this hour, patients are invited to take part in a knitting program. Participants are loaned knitting kits and given projects to work on tailored to their skill level.

Child and Mental Health Services (CAHMS) Consultation Liaison Service Clinical Coordinator, Karen Bradbury, says, “This project provides support by giving patients an activity that may help distract from their anorectic thinking, hence reducing their anxiety and distress after eating/gastric feeding.”

“As a flow-on effect, the reduction of their distress reduces the distress of other patients in the ward.”

Play Therapist, Kylie, has been introducing the program to patients on Adolescent Ward and has seen great success with many patients showing an interest in knitting. These knitted items can then be gifted to other patients in the Hospital, such as the tiniest babies in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and oncology patients in the Michael Rice Centre.

Karen says, “Other benefits would be giving a sense of generativity through the act of providing something to others, as well as a sense of mastery and a new skill that is functional, productive, valuable and easy to replicate at home on discharge.”

“Ideally, with new skills of mindfulness and distraction, the patients will develop new ways to manage their anxiety and therefore potentially develop another tool in managing their eating disorder or other mental health issues into the future post-discharge.”

Some of the cosy beanies patients have knitted in Adolescent Ward.

Knitting project on Adolescent Ward

Adolescent Ward patient, Ashleigh, says when it was first suggested she try knitting during her Hospital stay, she was apprehensive about the new idea. She says, “I thought it was going to be a waste of time and I wasn’t going to be able to do it.”

After getting into the swing of it though, she has now breezed through multiple beanies and a scarf, many of which she has donated to other patients in the Hospital! Her next goal is to knit a blanket.

Ashleigh says knitting has helped with her treatment.

“It made me stop thinking about what I’ve just eaten and stop worrying about my meetings.”

She’s also carried on knitting when she’s at home and has even passed on her new skills to her family. “I’ve taught my dad how to knit so now we knit together while he watches the footy.”

Ashleigh encourages other patients to try out the knitting project, saying, “Definitely try it. Just give it a go, even if you think you can’t do it. It’s actually quite easy.”

Other participants in the program have felt the same way, with survey results showing that 100% found the program helpful in managing their anxious thoughts post meals and said they would recommend knitting to other patients.

Adolescent Ward patient, Ashleigh, and Play Therapist, Kylie, meeting with SCBU nurse, Konnie, to donate these tiny beanies for premature babies.

Lauren Corena Fund

This program has been generously supported by the Lauren Corena Fund through our Arts in Health Program.

Mario Corena is a passionate advocate for young people experiencing mental illness and eating disorders. His daughter, Lauren, died over six years ago after spending much of her early adolescent years in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Now, as her legacy, Mario has created the Lauren Corena Fund to help other young people in hospital and to keep Lauren’s spirit alive.

Mario Corena and Karen Bradbury with some of the patient’s amazing knitting projects.

*Please note: The WCH is not currently accepting external knitting donations.

The WCH Foundation is providing free transport to patients with sickle cell disease at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) to support them in making it to their regular appointments.

The WCH Haematology/Oncology Unit cares for approximately 40 patients per year with sickle cell disease, with patient numbers on the rise. Many patients are from migrant and/or refugee families who are unfamiliar with the Australian medical system and have little social or financial support.

Patient with sickle cell disease receiving their blood transfusion at the WCH.

Patients with sickle cell disease must attend regular appointments to manage the condition. This includes monthly red blood cell transfusions, medication dispensing appointments, and clinical check-ups. Non-attendance has a detrimental impact on a patient’s condition and their health can deteriorate.

Approximately 50% of these patients do not regularly attend their appointments, including their transfusion appointments. The majority of these patients report travel as the key barrier to attendance. A lack of financial means to purchase a bus ticket or petrol, no car availability, or no social support to assist with transport can cause this.

WCH Paediatric Haematology Registrar, Olivia Elieff explains, “The patients who are at greatest risk of non-attendance, the most vulnerable, are also the patients most in need of receiving the transfusion and medication reviews.”

Patient receiving their blood transfusion at the WCH.

We are trialling a transport support service for these families. Taxi transport is provided for patients identified by the clinic as needing support with non-attendance.

Eligible families can be referred for the service by the Haematology/Oncology Unit clinicians who work with these patients.

The initiative, which has so far been trialled with ten patients, is demonstrating an improvement in attendance. Families have also expressed feeling better supported in their care.

If you have sickle cell disease or know someone who is living with the condition, you can find support here. 

Alexandra and Joshua’s baby girl, Charlee, was born at just 23 weeks. The couple’s wedding rings could fit around her arm like a bangle.

“Everything was smooth sailing in the pregnancy, we thought that once we got through that 20-week scan, everything would be fine,” Alexandra explains.

“But at 22 weeks and 4 days, I just wasn’t feeling well. I couldn’t work out what it was, but something didn’t feel or look right.”

“We went to Lyell McEwin Hospital, where they discovered I had bulging membranes and told us there was nothing that could be done for babies born before 23 weeks. So, at that stage, we could only wait and watch. Hoping we could keep her in, but also knowing she could be born at any minute.”

The family were transferred to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital with the goal of keeping baby Charlee in for as long as they could to give her a chance of survival.

Alexandra, Joshua and Charlee in NICU.

Charlee’s Journey

“Going to the hospital, we knew something was wrong, but we didn’t think it was that wrong,” Alexandra says.

“It was a really big couple of days. We saw a lot of people and had to make a lot of decisions.”

“We were lucky in the sense that they were able to give me steroids before 23 weeks, to give her lungs and brain the best chance.”

After a few days in the Hospital, Alexandra had an ultrasound and discovered her waters had leaked and her contractions had begun without her realising.

“The doctors said to us, ‘Right, this baby’s going to be born this morning,’ and we were glad she had made it to 23 weeks at least so they could help her. She decided to stay in there until the afternoon though, I think she wanted to prove them wrong!”

Charlee was born weighing in at just 560g. She was taken straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and has been there since. She’s facing lots of challenges still, but her doctors and nurses say that despite her size, she’s feisty and strong!

Charlee’s NICU baby book is full of memories from her time in NICU.

NICU baby book

The Women’s and Children’s Health Network NICU admits approximately 150 babies a year born at less than 32 weeks gestation, just like Charlee.

We have provided funding for the creation of NICU baby books that are customisable and specific to these families. The idea, brought to the WCH Foundation by NICU nurses Natasha Woodall and Robynn Lindner, recognises that milestones for a NICU baby can look very different. This book gives families the chance to remember big moments such as coming off the ventilator, reaching 1000 grams or graduating from NICU.

“The NICU nurses showed me the catalogue of all the different pages I could use, and I’m a kindy teacher so I was excited about the arts and crafts!” Alexandra laughs.

“While Charlee is this tiny there’s not really much I can do hands-on. Often, I’m just sitting there for hours, so it’s nice to print the pictures and do some writing.”

“I also love the idea for when she’s older she can look back and see how tiny she was.”

NICU nurse Natasha Woodall with one of the NICU baby books she created with fellow NICU nurse Robynn Lindner.

Celebrating every newborn baby

NICU nurse, Natasha Woodall, says, “Our team believes it is important to recognise and celebrate the birth of every newborn baby.”

“By providing families with a personalised baby book, we aim to enhance their memory-making experience that is specific to their NICU journey. These books will allow for parents to celebrate, record, remember, share and process this joyful and challenging season.”

The WCH Foundation is excited to be growing the Music Therapy service to assist more patients and families under the care of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH)!

In the past 18 months, we’ve undertaken a Music Therapy Project through our Arts in Health program. The aim of this pilot initiative was to expand Music Therapy at the WCH into a hospital-wide service.

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is an evidence-based allied health intervention that provides a safe and cost-effective service to promote wellbeing, recovery and quality of life in hospitalised children across the paediatric age spectrum. It involves the use of music-based experiences to help children and their families better cope with their hospital journey.

Registered Music Therapist at the WCH, Maybelle Swaney, explains, “It’s not about me coming in and being the expert. It’s about learning from the families as the experts.”

“It’s asking families how they think music is going to be useful for them in that setting, and then working to see if we can build a bit of a bridge between here and there.”

Music Therapy has been shown to help WCH paediatric inpatients:

• improve emotional wellbeing
• increase motivation to participate in treatment goals and adhere to treatment
• reduce levels of distress
• improve recovery rates
• improve states of calm behaviour
• reduce re-admissions/re-presentations
• reduce length of stay
• improve consumer experiences of care.

Registered Music Therapist, Maybelle Swaney. Please note: these photos are from before masks became mandatory. 

Our Music Therapy Project

Over the past few years, we’ve been trialling a Music Therapy Project to see how a service like this could look in the WCH.

Now, we are excited to officially launch this growing service!

In addition to the already established Music Therapy services supporting oncology patients at the WCH, our expanded service will provide support for the most vulnerable babies in the neonatal nurseries as well as for adolescents – specifically those with mental health conditions based on extensive evidence supporting Music Therapy as a valuable therapeutic intervention for this group. We are also implementing a referral-based service across the WCH.

This expansion includes implementing a Team Leader/ Clinical Lead role who will oversee at least two other part-time Registered Music Therapists and have the capacity to supervise Music Therapy students.

We’re proud to say that Registered Music Therapist, Maybelle Swaney, will be stepping up into this leadership role!

She says, “I feel both privileged and excited by the opportunity to expand the Music Therapy Service.”

To learn more about Music Therapy in the WCH, click here. 

Due to the success in its inaugural year, Challenge 21 is back again in 2022!

Challenge 21 is inspired by the Roberts Family who have been fundraising for the WCH Foundation for 16 years in memory of their son, Sam.

Last year, in honour of Sam’s 21st birthday, we launched Challenge 21, so that anyone, anywhere can take on any challenge they like to support sick kids.

Learn more about the story behind Challenge 21 here.

Marty and Michelle Roberts are ready for Challenge 21!

Choose your own challenge

This year, we want everyone to take on a challenge to support sick kids between 19 September and 9 October.

It’s simple; choose a challenge related to the number 21. You could run 21km, give something up for 21 days, or get creative and come up with your own challenge. Then, get your friends and family to sponsor you and raise funds for some of South Australia’s most vulnerable children and their families.

To help you decide what challenge you’ll come up with, take a look at some of last year’s challenges:

• Read 21 books
• Complete 21 random acts of kindness
• Swim every day for 21 days
• Have no chocolate for 21 days
• Run 21km
• Bake 21 goodies
• Perform 21 gigs
• Learn 21 songs on guitar
• Have no junk food for 21 days
• Catch up with 21 friends
• Exercise for 21 days
• Make 21 artworks
• Give 21 haircuts

To up the ante, you could take on a challenge with your friends or family, or even get your school or work involved!

Your fundraising will help improve the health and wellbeing of women, children and families under the care of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and its associated Health Network.

Pembroke School getting involved in Challenge 21.

Our partners

We’re excited to announce Trading Metals as Challenge 21’s major supporter this year. The team at Trading Metals will be taking on a challenge of their own and we can’t wait to see what they come up with.

We’re also proud to have Fresh 92.7 and Network 10 as our returning media partners.

Join the family

Joining the Challenge 21 family is quick, easy and free!

There are also exciting new prizes up for grabs when you hit fundraising targets.

To take on a challenge of your own sign up now