In partnership with the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, we’ve worked together with Asian women and midwives to develop culturally safe education materials and perineal/post-birth care bundles.

Research shows that Asian women can face specific challenges during childbirth, including birth-related tears and infections.

This initiative aims to ensure that Asian women feel understood, supported and confident in their care, empowering them to have a positive birth experience.

Shirley Qianyin Chen, WCHN Midwifery Educator, with some products from the care bundles.

Shirley Qianyin Chen, WCHN Midwifery Educator, with some products from the care bundles.

Asian women planning a birth at the WCH will receive a specially designed perineal care/post-birth care bundle, including culturally appropriate postpartum care products such as firm underwear, a perineal cleaning bottle, cooling pads and maternity pads.

They will also have access to educational videos produced in five languages, which help prepare them for birth, and targeted education is being rolled out for maternity care providers.

This project has been funded by the remarkable fundraising efforts of Adelaide’s Vietnamese community, who came together to raise funds in recognition of the care received at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital by so many mothers and babies.

The Roberts family have been generous, dedicated and inspiring fundraisers for the WCH Foundation since 2006 with their Cycle 4 Sam community.

Cycle 4 Sam is inspired by Marty and Michelle Roberts’ son, Sam, and the incredible legacy they have created since he sadly passed away in 2005, just before his fifth birthday, from a very rare, neurological degenerative condition called Niemann-Pick Disease Type C.

Since then, the Roberts family have supported families like theirs who are going through the challenges of having a sick child in hospital.

The Roberts family at the first Cycle 4 Sam fundraiser in 2006, and then at their most recent nearly 20 years later.

The Roberts family at the first Cycle 4 Sam fundraiser in 2006, and then at their most recent nearly 20 years later.

This year, they held a Spring Challenge, encouraging the community to take on their own personal challenge and raise vital funds for families who need it most.

Participants could break a habit, take on a fitness challenge, or try their hand at something new or unique.

There were so many amazing challenges this year, such as:

Sam Roberts

Sam Roberts.

Thanks to the efforts of each and every fundraiser, the Cycle 4 Sam community reached an incredible milestone of $1 million raised to help women, children and families supported by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

With a particular focus on supporting families under the care of the Paediatric Palliative Care Service, these funds in the past have supported things like Art Therapy, the construction of the Sam Roberts Family Care Room, and support for our Laklinyeri Beach House.

Now, the Sam Roberts Family Fund will also contribute to the Alongside: Grief and Loss Program, a new initiative aimed at providing bereavement care and support for families experiencing the loss of a child.

Michelle and Marty say, “Sam would be very proud.”

Celebrating this incredible milestone.

Celebrating this incredible milestone.

 

The Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation (WCH Foundation) is proud to enhance support for South Australian families experiencing the death of a child thanks to a new program.

Caring for and supporting families in grief following the death of a child has always been a focus of the Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN) Paediatric Palliative Care Service (PPCS). For some families though, death may be sudden and unexpected. For all families, the loss of a child will have a profound and long-lasting impact and being alongside them through this time can help to navigate towards better healing.

Families often benefit from support through their grief, to honour, remember and incorporate their child into their lives in new ways.

The WCHN and the WCH Foundation are working in partnership to offer all families experiencing the death of a child equitable bereavement care with the deepest compassion, respect and expertise to navigate the difficult journey of grief after the death of a child.

Grief and Loss program

The new Alongside Grief and Loss Program works alongside families. The program focuses on partnering with families through their unique grief journey recognising that grief has no set pattern or order and the depth, duration and experience is different for everyone.

Among the support structures for families grieving the death of a child are professional counselling, linkages to community supports, sibling and family group programs, access to memory-making opportunities such as fingerprint impression jewellery, and funeral assistance.

WCH Foundation Head of Mission, Verity Gobbett, says, “This was an important project for the WCH Foundation because we have seen the impact that strong, well-coordinated bereavement support can have for a family’s ability to cope. Equity is an important principle for us, and we knew if we could help to build a more inclusive and equitable service, we wanted to be a part of it.”

WCHN Psychosocial Clinical Lead and Grief and Loss Coordinator, Dimi Patrinos, says the death of a child impacts on the family system at emotional, psychological, spiritual and practical levels.

She says, “Families draw on their strengths and support networks, but the unique responses of families require a specialised, professional bereavement service. We are so very proud to be able to support more families through the new Grief and Loss program.”

The Roberts Family

In 2005, Marty and Michelle Roberts’ son, Sam, died just before his fifth birthday, having battled the impacts of the very rare neurological degenerative condition called Niemann-Pick Disease Type C.

Sam’s care in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital prompted the Roberts family to fundraise for the WCH Foundation, supporting projects just like this one, through their Cycle4Sam initiative, which has raised almost $1 million to date.

Marty says bereavement care for families is critical and they are pleased their fundraising efforts can assist with the new program.

“We appreciate and understand the depth of grief and loss that losing a child can bring, and it’s so important that other families who experience such pain have access to grief and loss support,’’ Marty said.

“We were most grateful for the support of the WCH Paediatric Palliative Care Service after we lost Sam. We hope that this support can now be provided across the hospital. We are looking forward to watching the progress of this new program at the WCH,’’ added Michelle.

 

Learn more about support available in times of grief 

 

Banner image: The Alongside Grief and Loss Program Team (L-R) Admin Maddie Evans, Social Worker Yongjian Liang, Psychosocial Clinical Lead and Grief and Loss Coordinator Dimi Patrinos, Social Worker Renee Symons, Art Therapist Lauren Morgan, Parent Mentor Coordinator Estelle Chapple and Art Therapist Carolyn Groocock.

 

The Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation (WCH Foundation) is supporting the Chimera Legacy Foundation to land its donation of a Virtual Reality Pod into the Metropolitan Youth Centre (MYH) in Elizabeth to help youth tackling trauma.

We have helped bring a different outlook to the lives of Adelaide youth tackling trauma, with some Virtual Reality therapy, helping them to escape the stresses of life.

MYH is a trauma-responsive youth health service working within the Health and Recovery, Trauma Safety Services (HaRTSS) of the Women’s and Children’s Health Network in Metropolitan Adelaide.

Chimera Legacy Foundation works to embed Virtual Reality therapy into hospitals and treatment centres for healthcare needs and, with the support of the WCH Foundation, is breaking some new ground to help youth at MYH by donating a Virtual Reality pod.

Damien Thompson, a Leukaemia, Bone Marrow Transplant, Graft V Host Disease and Double Lung Transplant recipient, founded Chimera Legacy Foundation to be able to use his own experience of finding support in VR therapy to set out on a journey to provide VR therapy into the care sector.

Damien said his own experience with VR therapy when in hospital for long periods of time makes him certain the youth at the MYH now have an important tool to tackle the trauma they deal with.

“Coping with these stresses is difficult and usually met with medication. It wasn’t until I tried VR that I was able to manage the stress,’’ Damien said.

“Having a window to the world at your fingertips allowed me to escape anytime I felt stressed. It’s that mental reset we all need.’’

Chimera’s VR Pods already support young patients on their healthcare journey. Chimera works directly with healthcare providers to tailor and deliver VR therapies to assist patients during their treatments and this latest donation extends that technology into the field of trauma support for youth.

Virtual Reality Pod

MYH Social Worker, Sarina Cornforth, WCH Foundation Corporate & Community Fundraising Manager, Ansley Easterlin, and Chimera Legacy Foundation Founder, Damien Thompson.

Verity Gobbett, Head of Mission for WCH Foundation, said, “The WCH Foundation is delighted to be able to work with the Chimera Legacy Foundation to facilitate this innovative use of new technology to enhance the patient experience.”

“Knowing that Damien has had the lived experience of Virtual Reality helping him in his younger life overcome great challenges brings an even bigger sense of the value of this donation to those who will use it.”

“It is really exciting that the WCH Foundation is able to help Chimera Legacy Foundation bring their goals to fruition.”

Sharon Wight, Senior Manager for MYH, said, “MYH provides health care to vulnerable young people who have often experienced early life trauma. Coming into appointments can often feel scary and overwhelming, especially where they may be engaging in therapeutic care that can be unsettling.”

“The VR pods will be a part of a special trauma-responsive therapy/wellbeing space that will contribute to making their time at MYH welcoming, safe and engaging.”

The second ‘Collab for a Cause’ event was a huge success and raised over $70,000!

‘Collab for a Cause’ is a night full of food and fundraising organised by Shannon and Nicole Fleming and the wonderful team at Lot 100 in the Adelaide Hills.

Collab for a Cause at Lot 100.

Collab for a Cause at Lot 100.

The Fleming family

Shannon is the Head Chef at Lot 100 and has lived experience at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, spending nearly 100 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with his wife and twin girls Isla and Eloise. Heartbreakingly, Isla passed away at four weeks of age after heart surgery.

Shannon and Nicole say, “No one knows what NICU is until you need NICU. NICU makes families and without them, we wouldn’t have the family we have now.”

Some of the nursing staff who cared for Isla and Eloise attended the Collab for a Cause event, showing their support for Shannon, Nicole and families like theirs.

Nicole and Shannon Fleming sharing their hospital experience with the guests.

Nicole and Shannon Fleming sharing their hospital experience with the guests.

‘Collab for a Cause’ making a big impact

The funds raised have been used to purchase a micro-preemie simulation doll and two monitoring systems to be installed in the isolation rooms supporting NICU and the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).

The mannequin will be a valuable asset to the delivery of nursery education and to developing staff confidence and skills in neonatal nursing.

The mannequin will be the same size and weight as a 25-week gestation infant and will greatly assist in developing clinical skills and confidence in nursing staff who are learning how to provide resuscitation to very sick, small and fragile infants in a safe learning environment.

The monitoring screens will enable staff to interact with the monitoring systems within those rooms, without needing to physically enter the patient’s room, eliminating the unnecessary risk of infection.

These wall-mounted monitors will display patient physiological data, giving the clinician full capability as if they were at the bedside without any risk to patient safety.

Some of the amazing chefs and staff who made the night possible.

Some of the amazing chefs and staff who made the night possible.

Thank you

We would like to say a huge thank you to guest chefs, Will Doak from Lost Phoenix Farm, Emma Shearer from The Lost Loaf, Kane Pollard from Topiary, Darren Robertson from Three Blue Ducks and all of the amazing Lot 100 staff who volunteered their time to make this incredible event possible.

 

Michelle and Marty Roberts’ middle child, Sam, had just turned two when they were given the shattering news that their gorgeous, blonde-haired, little boy was terminally ill with a very rare neurological degenerative condition called Niemann-Pick Disease Type C.

After a courageous battle fought in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH), young Sam passed away in 2005 just before his fifth birthday.

Sam and his family spent many years in and out of the WCH, his siblings Lucy and Charlie (pictured above) growing up by his side in the Hospital environment.

“We are just one of hundreds of families who have experienced this situation though,” Marty said.

Lucy, Sam and Charlie Roberts

Sam Roberts in the WCH with siblings Lucy and Charlie.

Remembering Sam

“Sam was beautiful and the cutest little boy. We were so fortunate to have many happy and joyful memories when he was with us,” Michelle said.

“We’re deeply indebted to the care and love that he got from the Hospital,” Marty added.

The Roberts family have spent the past 15 years fundraising for the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation (WCH Foundation) in his memory. They created the Sam Roberts Family Fund and through their Cycle 4 Sam fundraiser have contributed over $750,000 to various projects for the WCH Foundation and the WCH Paediatric Palliative Care Service.

They celebrated Sam’s 21st birthday on June 30, 2021.

“We always used to like to celebrate birthdays with him,” Michelle said.

“Even though, for me, he’s still forever a four-year-old, so it’s hard to imagine him 21.”

“We remember Sam as being a little boy who endured a huge amount in his short life,” Marty agreed, “So to honour him on his 21st birthday is really important.”

“It reminds us of not only the time that we had with him but also the years since and the joy we’ve had having Cycle 4 Sam in his memory.”

The pair said it is a joyous experience remembering Sam with their family and friends through their fundraising events.

“It’s a way that we can keep Sam part of our lives and our family,” Michelle said.

“He was very cute and cheeky, and he did love having people around him, so he’d probably be amazed with all the fuss being made about him.”

The Roberts Family

Charlie, Michelle, Marty and Lucy Roberts at a Cycle 4 Sam event.

Challenge 21

In honour of Sam’s 21st birthday, we are asked our community to challenge themselves to raise funds to support families like the Roberts who benefit from the WCH Foundation.

We launched the inaugural Challenge 21, so that anyone, anywhere, can take on any challenge they like to support sick kids.

It’s simple; choose and take on a challenge related to the number 21. You could run 21km’s, 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.

Sam Roberts collage

Gorgeous, fun, lovable little Sam.

Are you up for Challenge 21?

Registrations for Challenge 21 are now open. Sign up for free as an individual or a team and start raising funds in the lead up to our Challenge period.

“No matter what you do, you can all make a difference,” Michelle said.

“You can be as creative as you like, there are no limitations,” Marty added.

“Any challenge that someone does with the number 21 is going to benefit them physically, mentally or spiritually – they’re going to become better people as a result of setting a challenge in Sam’s memory. We’re really excited about it.”

For more information on Challenge 21 click here

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