All funds raised support patient care initiatives and life-saving medical research across RBWH and STARS.
The countdown is on to RBWH Foundation Giving Day, Wednesday 12 June, with plenty of fun and activity planned right across RBWH and STARS, both on the day and in the lead-up.
RBWH Foundation Giving Day is the biggest event in the Foundation calendar, a chance for Queenslanders to say thank you to RBWH and STARS healthcare heroes. The Foundation hopes to raise more than $500,000 and every donation received by 12 June will be doubled, thanks to the generosity of Matching Donors.
“Every year, RBWH and STARS cares for about 600,000 people,” said RBWH Foundation CEO Simone Garske.
“That’s 600,000 reasons to give and this year we’re asking Queenslanders: ‘Who is your reason?”
Early bird activities
The early birds have already started fundraising for their favourite hospital!
- RBWH Kidney Health Services novelty lanyard pins
- Mon-Fri: Level 9, Ned Hanlon Building
- RBWH Occupational Therapy Sausage Sizzle
- Sun May 19: 8 am. Bunnings Newstead
- RBWH Speech Pathology Bake Sale
- Wed 5 June: 9 am. Level 1 Ned Hanlon Building
Join the Seven Sunrise Giving Day audience
Help RBWH shine as Seven Sunrise weather presenter Sam Mac showcases the hospital between 5:30 am and 8:30 am. We need audience members to join the broadcast!
- RSVP to appear live on TV by emailing info@rbwhfoundation.com.au
A sneak peak of Giving Day fun
Don’t miss the action, Wednesday 12 June, right across RBWH and STARS:
- Tour de STARS Cycling challenge – how many virtual laps of Herston Health Precinct can you do in 15 minutes?
- STARS Food Court: 9 am – 3 pm
- Sporting stars meet and greet, including Australian champion boxer Jeff Horn
- RBWH Ground Floor Foyer: times tbc
- Pop-up Pilates studio ‘100s challenge’ – can you beat the clock?!
- RBWH Ground Floor foyer: 9 am – 3 pm
- Giving Day photo booth
- RBWH Ground Floor foyer
- Glass bead earring stall
- RBWH Level 1 Atrium
If you have your own fundraising idea, register today at https://www.rbwhfoundation.com.au/event/giving-day/fundraise and we’ll help you spread the news.
Reece’s annual treadmill marathon
From Tuesday 11 June, cheer on RBWH Assistant Physiotherapist Reece Crawford in the RBWH Ground Floor Foyer, as he completes his staggering ‘100 miles for Gratitude’ treadmill marathon.
In 2014, RBWH saved Reece’s life after he suffered a traumatic brain injury in a scooter accident. This year, Reece will run 6.71km every hour for 24 hours, raising funds for medical research.
“The RBWH Foundation absolutely adores Reece and his huge heart,” said Ms Garske.
“It’s such a privilege to have hospital staff join us on RBWH Foundation Giving Day to raise awareness, raise spirits and raise funds for patient care initiatives and life-saving research.”
Together, we improve patient outcomes
All funds raised support patient care initiatives and life-saving medical research across RBWH and STARS, conducted by clinicians such as RBWH Senior Staff Cardiologist Associate Professor Sandhir Prasad.
RBWH is a national leader in heart failure research. Early detection of heart failure and improvements in ongoing monitoring of patients are major priorities.
Dr Prasad and young RBWH cardiac patient Stephanie Alexander feature in this year’s RBWH Foundation Giving Day campaign.
“Donating to research is absolutely vital,” said Associate Professor Prasad.
“Heart failure is a killer disease; it causes so much suffering.”
Stephanie Alexander was just 25-years old when she diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, two days before her honeymoon.
“I thought all my symptoms of chest infection, ear infection and bronchitis were my body telling me I was stressed, even though I didn’t feel it,” said Stephanie.
“It turned out I had to have an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) put in my chest, which is like my own little paramedic so if I go into an arrhythmia, it will give me a big shock and hopefully stop me having a cardiac event.”
Associate Professor Prasad said about one in 200 people were diagnosed with heart failure each year, but rarely as young as Stephanie. He said mobile screening services, potentially in shopping centres, could one day be a game-changer.
“We’ve been working on a model where nurses perform heart scans, or echocardiograms, to detect heart function,” said Dr Prasad.
“This could occur in GP clinics, it could occur in hospital wards or in supermarkets and shopping malls where nurses could set up screening stations.”
Once diagnosed, he said, ongoing monitoring of heart patients was vital.
“The Holy Grail in monitoring would be remote monitoring, using devices such as smartphones or smartwatches which can measure biometric data and transmit it to the hospital, so patients don’t have to come in for monitoring visits.”
This RBWH Foundation Giving Day, help advance patient care and life-saving medical research and please donate today at www.rbwhfoundation.com.au.
“I would like research to help people live longer lives with heart disease,” said Stephanie.
“The biggest and most difficult thing to come to terms with is that I won’t be able to give birth to the children I spent my life dreaming of.
“Creating a family is an option that this disease has taken away from my husband and me, and this just scratches the surface of how this terrible disease can impact people.”
Media contact:
RBWH Foundation Senior Media and Communications Advisor
Dana Lang
E: d.lang@rbwhfoundation.com.au
M: 0404 866 903.