The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne

This was the moment two-year-old Aarna left Koala, the cardiac ward, after 602 days! ❤️❤️❤️

“It felt like the entire hospital was there to say goodbye to her,” Aarna’s parents explained.

“Almost everyone including us was crying as everyone including doctors, all the Koala Nurses, VAD team, Aarna’s care team, support staff were waiting for that day.“

The Elmo and Bluey loving toddler received a well-deserved guard of honour from staff and friends, as she was discharged following a heart transplant.

“We are grateful to RCH for taking such good care of Aarna & specially that day is engraved in our hearts forever & we will never forget that,” said her mum and dad.

Read more about Aarna’s story at bit.ly/aarnahearthero

“Thank you for seeing us as more than a patient UR number, for seeing Hazel as a little girl who needed the opportunity to thrive, for giving her the gift of health and life and every opportunity for her to shoot for the stars.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Hazel was born, her parents knew something was a little different and as she grew older, it was clear her face wasn’t developing in the same way as other children her age.

Her parents’ advocacy led to a diagnosis of craniosynostosis, a condition where the bones in a baby’s skull have fused together too early.

The family, who live in Tasmania, would have to travel to the RCH for treatment. It’s been close to two years since Hazel’s successful surgery.

“I am looking at our beautiful daughter who has not only made a full recovery but is absolutely thriving!” her mum said.

You can read Hazel’s full story in her Mum’s words here: https://bit.ly/4bP1x4A

Today we spotted some funky socks around the RCH, with staff proudly showing off their brightest pair supporting Day!

Held annually, Crazy Socks 4 Docs shines a light on the mental health and well-being of doctors and clinicians globally.

It's important to continue to normalise mental health illness in all professions to reduce the stigma and to show support to our wonderful staff at the RCH!

Today marks National Sorry Day, a time to remember and acknowledge the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’.

The Royal Children’s Hospital recognises the importance of this healing journey for all the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, patients, families and wider community.

We also reflect on our continued mission to help bridge the gap in health care and provide culturally safe and sensitive services with the help of our Wadja Aboriginal Family Place team.

“They’re all my grandchildren, I don’t differentiate” – RCH Ward Grandparent Cheryl O’Hanlon.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This week we had our Volunteer Recognition Ceremony, celebrating the incredible commitment of our long-service volunteers for their support of our patients, families and staff across the RCH.

We also acknowledged our Great Care Award recipient Cheryl O’Hanlon, an RCH Ward Grandparent who has shown exceptional dedication to her role in the 13 years she has been with us.

Joining us in 2011, Cheryl quickly became a beloved presence in the wards for both families and staff. Committing three days a week to long-term inpatients, she brought her real-life grandparenting skills and compassion to every situation.

“There’s a learning phase, you just need to be yourself, listen to them and learn what they like and don’t like,” said Cheryl.

She also came to understand that while not every day will be an easy one, “the good times outweigh all the hard times.”

“A mum and her daughter walked over to me the other day, and I looked up and saw this girl that I looked after when she was three, she is now 13!”

For Cheryl, the reward lies in the opportunity to provide some normality and connection for the patients and parents she works with.

A huge thank you to Cheryl and all the special volunteers who make every day at the RCH a little brighter.

Happy National Volunteer Week! 🎉

At The Royal Children's Hospital, our 300-strong volunteers are an invaluable part of our care ecosystem.

Joining us from a broad range of backgrounds, they help us improve the experiences of our patients, families, and staff by providing a range of services.

Marked by their signature pink shirts, they are always there to lend a helping hand and offer a friendly smile.

Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers, past and present, you are all a truly special part of our community.

If you’re interested in making a difference and joining our volunteer family, apply today!

To be a volunteer you must be:

💗Aged 18 or older
💗Triple vaccinated
💗Willing to commit to a regular roster (approximately 3 hours per week/fortnight)

Application link: www.rch.org.au/volunteers

🏳️‍🌈 Celebrating IDAHOBIT with Stella 🏳️‍

Stella spent some of her teenage years as a patient at The Royal Children's Hospital and is now working at RCH as a ward clerk as well as being a Peer Leader and participant in the ChIPS program.

Identifying as q***r and having a chronic illness, Stella spoke brilliantly at the RCHs IDAHOBIT morning tea, telling her story about finding friendship and support through ChIPS, the RCHs’ Chronic Illness Peer Support Program.

‘The ChIPS space allows everyone from any background who has a chronic illness to have a space where they can be themselves and not have to worry about their illness getting in the way as everyone else there knows exactly what it is like to have their body work against them.’

‘It’s not about just having a chronic illness but a space for young people to continue with life and gain valuable life skills and friendships along the way.’

Stella highlighted the importance of creating a safe space for everyone.

‘Whether they are q***r, disabled, chronically ill or are from a different ethnic background it doesn’t matter, we are all human and deserve to be treated with love and respect.’

At the RCH, we strive to foster spaces where individuals of all backgrounds feel seen, heard, and valued. Today, as we celebrate IDAHOBIT, let's honour diversity and continue building a world where all children thrive.

For the past week, we've been celebrating our wonderful nurses, extending International Nurses Day celebrations.

We know our amazing colleagues work long hours and in fact, most of them are too busy to stop and celebrate, which is why this year we brought the celebrations to them, where they work, to say thank you.

Throughout the week there were quizzes and career cafes.

Patients and families drew messages of gratitude and thanks, were delivered on our trolley of treats. Snacks, fruit and even some special presents in the lucky dip were shared among teams on the wards.

Scrubs-shaped cookies were delivered to those who worked through Sunday and on Monday morning, staff started the day with a BBQ and pastries.

To our nurses: you're the best. Thank you.

An enormous thank you to our incredible nurses at the RCH ❤️

Without you, the hospital would not be able to care for the thousands of patients and families we see each year.

One day is not nearly enough to say thanks for everything that you do but today, on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, there couldn’t be a better time to stop and reflect on the contribution of our amazing nursing workforce over so many decades.

Whether you’re a former nurse or a current staff member, spending time with your own friends and families at home, or at work, caring for somebody else’s loved one—thank you!

Tell us in the comments why you love our nurses 🥰

Being in hospital is not the first Mother’s Day mum Ghariza expected. But today is another chance to spend precious time with her son and hopefully get a few more cuddles like this in!

Born at 22 weeks and five days, baby Zane weighed just 585 grams - roughly the size of two steaks!

The first time Mum Ghariza was able to hold her little boy was when he was ten days old.

“That first time was just magic,” Ghariza said.

The following month, he was transferred to the RCH for bowel surgery.

“I remember the day like it was yesterday-it was terrifying.

“I just remember one of the nurses saying ‘Stop, can we give Mum just a minute to be with Zane?’

“I was crying and she told me to just kiss my boy,” Ghariza explained.

“That was the first time I ever kissed my son. That nurse will always have a special place in my heart because she made space for me to have that precious moment.

“It wasn’t very long but it felt like a lifetime, said Ghariza.

At the time, it wasn’t clear if Zane would make it through the operation.

Thankfully he did and Zane is now 110 days old and has quadrupled his birth weight while at the RCH! He still with a long road ahead but is growing stronger every day.

“I get a lot of strength from the other mums here.”

To Ghariza and to every mum, Happy Mother’s Day ❤️

This is the story of “Twin A”, who at only 13 weeks in utero was diagnosed with a rare and complex heart condition. Loving parents Stephanie and David were told to prepare for the worst.

By 17 weeks, their unborn baby boy was confirmed to have truncus arteriosus, severe truncal stenosis and a ventricular septal defect (VSD- a hole in the heart). Essentially – only one large artery came from the heart which failed to separate into the usual two arteries.

Against the odds, baby Miller (1.9kgs) and his twin sister Maisie (2.2kgs) were delivered at Monash Medical Centre in August 2023.

At just four hours old, Miller was transported via PIPER with dad in tow, to The Royal Children’s Hospital where he was monitored in PICU while a plan was developed to address his heart problems. Mum and Maisie remained at Monash for several days.

“I don’t think [Maisie] really understood her little roommate wasn’t there anymore,” Stephanie said.

With his condition deteriorating rapidly, Miller underwent urgent open-heart surgery at just two days old. At his weight, his cardiologists weren’t sure he would survive the surgery.

Unfortunately due to further unusual complications the next day, Miller went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated before being placed onto a heart and lung bypass machine (life support).

“I wasn’t really in my right mind,” Stephanie said, “I was a mess the entire time and I was trying to hold myself together.”

“The decision was made to go in for exploratory surgery because they thought Miller had a bleed in his chest and during this surgery they decided to take him off life support and to let him try to do the work himself,” Stephanie said.

“A slow and uncertain couple of weeks went by and he had been showing signs of improvement to the point the doctors were a bit more positive about his recovery.”

“I got to see my son for the first time properly at five days old (I had never seen his face without anything on it) and I got to hold him for the first time at three weeks old.”

“We weren’t sure if that was going to be the only cuddle we ever got.”

After several infections and continuous fluid build-up, Miller underwent his second open heart surgery in October at nine weeks old.

His recovery was slow, but after a lot of hard work from his care team Miller was able to come off his ventilator and breathe on his own!

In February 2024, Miller got to go home for the first time.

“We showered him with love, everyone got proper cuddles for the first time. He got to actually see what his home looked like and to sit and play with toys. He really enjoyed everything that was happening,” said Stephanie.

Miller has since made significant progress in his recovery and is slowly strengthening his immune system after his long stay in hospital. “There will be back and forths but we can only go with the flow and love him to the fullest.”

“We are incredibly lucky to have great support at home to help with our other children as well as having great support within the RCH who have been able to assist and provide support for us all as well.”

“I hope he has a long, healthy and happy life.”

We want to thank Stephanie and David for sharing little Miller’s powerful journey with us. We wish him all the best in his recovery. ❤️

How much do you really know about asthma? Today is World Asthma Day and the theme for this year is ‘Asthma Education Empowers.’

The RCH is a proud partner of the Safer Care Victoria ‘Improving Childhood Asthma Management’ project to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for children living with asthma in Melbourne’s north and west.

Data shows that children in these areas have poorer asthma outcomes and higher risks of admission to hospital than in other areas of the city. RCH Respiratory Consultant Shivanthan says, “this project is exciting because you get the ability to work with many different health services to improve the care children with asthma receive, which allows for a broader impact than just working within the walls of the RCH.”

“A key aspect of this project is creating a culture of continuous assessment of the quality of asthma care delivered, which allows teams to continuously improve the care they deliver. By doing this we hope to ensure the project has a long term impact in ensuring the children of Melbourne’s north and west receive the best asthma care possible.”

As a mother of two children with asthma, Safer Care Victoria Senior Project Officer Melissa says, “I am excited about the opportunity this project brings to the children and their families in the north and west of Melbourne to experience more consistent and integrated care, especially with the link to community asthma programs. This will enable parents to understand how to better manage their child’s asthma so they can stay well and out of hospital.”

Asthma affects millions of Australians and we encourage you to dive into the theme of empowerment through education and learn more about the challenges faced by children with asthma and the importance of the support of our health services in the community: https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/asthma-videos/

The Melbourne Children's Campus stands proudly in solidarity with the transgender and gender diverse communities on Trans Day of Visibility. Throughout history and across cultures, gender diversity has been a fundamental aspect of human experience, including within First Nations cultures.

Today we celebrate and honour all trans and gender diverse children, young people, parents, family members, and staff within our community. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live authentically, with safety and equal access to opportunities, from childhood through to adulthood.

As leaders of Australia's largest clinical and research program dedicated to supporting trans and gender diverse children, adolescents and their families, we are committed to fostering environments of inclusivity, respect and affirmation. Our research and clinical experience underscores the vulnerability of trans and gender diverse children and adolescents, and emphasises the urgent need for our unwavering support, respect and affirmation.

Today, and every day, we raise our voices against discrimination. We reaffirm our dedication to championing diversity and advocating for the rights of our trans and gender diverse patients, research participants, their families, our colleagues, and the broader trans and gender diverse communities.

You are loved, you are valued, and you are not alone.

Wishing all of our patients, families, staff and supporters a very happy Easter! Children like Luna loved celebrating on Good Friday with an early visit from the Easter Bunny at the RCH 🐰

This is absolutely incredible! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who donated, volunteered and supported the Appeal in 2024 💜💚

💚💜What a massive day at the RCH! Thank you to everyone who joined us on Good Friday! From all of us at the RCH, thank you for bringing your big hearts and big smiles to the hospital 💚💜

Are you watching? Let us know if you see any of your favourite RCH faces in the telethon 💜💚

Today's the day! 💜💚

Be watching Channel 7 Melbourne and nationally for the Good Friday Appeal and help raise vital funds for The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne

How to donate: www.goodfridayappeal.com.au

Meet Peter 🥰

After an early life filled with heartbreak, there’s no holding back Peter now.

Born with a rare congenital heart defect in the Solomon ­Islands, the seven-year-old has endured his fair share of challenges. But he’s back on his feet and raring to go thanks to surgeons at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne

Peter was born with a condition called congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, which means the heart’s ventricles and vessels are reversed.

Read Peters story: https://hubs.ly/Q02q-STh0

If you find yourself at the RCH Emergency Department, you might meet Tammy, who's our latest Champion for Children.

Tammy is a Child Life Therapist, working alongside patients and families go engage, educate and empower children to understand medical procedures. Thanks to funds raised by the Good Friday Appeal, the Child Life Therapy (CLT) team is expanding their services and now providing support in the Emergency Department.

"ED can often be a child’s first experience with medical interventions and it can be a noisy and confronting environment. CLT play an important role supporting children and their families to understand what they need to do during their visit. CLT helps to create environments that meet the diverse needs of children and their families," Tammy says.

“We do this by assessing, preparing and supporting children during their hospital experiences. We also provide targeted medical and therapeutic play. Our aim is to minimise distress and promote coping strategies, in the hope to empower children to manage future medical interventions."

You can read more about Tammy and the Child Life Therapy services on our website: https://bit.ly/3IRFiOR

Meet Jacob 🥰

Every morning it takes three carers two hours to wrap little Jacob head to toe in layers of thick foam and bandages before he can face the world – it’s all in the name of keeping the “butterfly boy” safe.⁠ 💜

Read Jacobs story here: https://www.goodfridayappeal.com.au/our-stories/jacob-and-the-butterfly-effect/