A generous donation from seven local Lions Clubs has bought four new humidicribs and other equipment for newborns in need of special care at Wollongong Hospital.
Over a seven-month-long fundraising project, Corrimal Lions Club recruited the help of Lions Club members at Helensburgh, Austinmer/Thirroul, Woonona, Wollongong, Figtree and Dapto to raise $150,000 for the hospital's neonatal unit.
Corrimal Lions Club president Neil Cranny said the desire to support the neonatal unit in Wollongong arose in November last year after a Lions member shared a personal experience.
“One of our former members, Kathy, she had an experience in the neonatal unit with her grandchildren and at one of our meetings she suggested that we give something to the neonatal unit in some way,” Neil said.
“Initially… we gave them a $2000 donation and then, a couple of months after that, at one of our meetings, we thought that they can really use some new equipment at the unit, because we were told some of the equipment they had, like the humidicribs, were about 40 years old and they were finding it hard to get spare parts for them, and they're quite expensive to buy.
“We decided to do a fundraiser and buy a new humidicrib – they're about roughly $30,000 each."
Then the Corrimal Lions' 60th anniversary function brought together members from six other clubs in the Illawarra, sparking an even bigger idea: "Imagine what we could do if we banded together.”
With the $150,000 donation, Wollongong Hospital has bought four new humidicribs – oxygen- and temperature-regulating cribs designed to treat premature and sick newborns – as well as six Bilisoft phototherapy systems and humidifiers for respiratory support.
Cheques were presented to hospital representatives at a ceremony on Friday, November 3, at Corrimal Lions Club Preloved Bookstore.
NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District co-director of kids and families Simone Trist, director of paediatrics Dr Hong Du, past district governor and Australian Lions Foundation district chairman Gordon Matthews attended the ceremony, joined by staff at Wollongong Hospital Neonatal Unit, Lions Club volunteers and members of the community.
Danielle Coggan, the nurse unit manager at Wollongong Hospital’s Neonatal Unit, said the donation would ensure more babies were cared for in the best environment for daily growth and development.
“Two years ago, we had five humidicribs that could no longer be serviced as we were unable to order the parts needed to service them [as] the cribs were 40 years old,” Danielle said.
“This donation will allow us to have nine cribs again in total in the NNU and be back to our optimal requirement of cribs.
“The other impact and purchase we will fulfil will be more modern phototherapy blankets [which] allows us to be able to decrease the amount of time babies require to be treated for jaundice, and this will allow for mothers and babies not be separated as long or even stay together whilst this treatment continues.”
Importantly, Danielle said it would also limit the need for families to travel to Sydney for neonatal care.
“[We thank] the Illawarra Lions Clubs for all coming together to support our beautiful Neonatal Unit here in Wollongong – your support and donation is so beneficial so that we are able to deliver optimal health care to many babies in the Illawarra.
“It will allow us to accept more babies back from tertiary hospitals in Sydney so that the baby and their families can be close to home again.”
For Corrimal Lions Club’s former member, Kathy – whose grandchildren had to be transferred to Sydney because Wollongong Hospital didn't have enough equipment – allowing families to remain close to their newborns was of upmost importance.
Neil said, “It got quite emotional to hand over that cheque and Kathy gave a little talk at her function and her grandkids were there – they're now six, seven years old – and you could just about see the tears in Kathy's eyes and the admiration she had for everyone, all the Lions Club volunteers.
“What we've done for her and newborn babies today and in the future, it really touched our heart at what we could do when we handed over the funds.”
Neil said he hoped that those who’ve donated to local Lions Clubs' causes this year felt similar satisfaction.
“Without the public walking by our little bookstore bringing books in, we couldn't have done what we've done,” he said.
“And even the other Lions Clubs, we're a service organisation, all volunteers, and people don't have to come along and help us, they don't have to buy a sausage, but they do.
“They may not know specifically where funds go, but they know they'll be going to a good cause.”