Neonatal Unit Newsletter - Edition 9 - Rchfoundation.com.au

01
A CELEBRATION OF LIFE
ABOUT US
A Celebration of Life was created in 2002
by parents Chris and Sophie Clarke.
Their daughter, Madeleine, was born with a severe
case of Strep B and given only a 1% chance of survival
when admitted to the Neonatal Unit (NNU) at The Royal
Children’s Hospital, Melbourne (RCH). Maddie defied
the odds, thanks to the skill and dedication of the
Neonatal medical team and is now a beautiful and happy
big sister to brother James.
In honour of their gratitude to the NNU, A Celebration
of Life was created by Chris and Sophie to assist
specifically with the fundraising requirements of the
NNU and hopefully make possible the equipment,
resources and research that helps to make it one
of the premier NNU’s in Australia, if not the world.
The major fundraising event for the NNU is the Annual
Celebration of Life Gala Ball. Now in its eighth year, this
event has helped to raise thousands of life saving dollars
for the NNU.
A Celebration of Life is recognised as a fundraising entity
for the NNU at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
and is coordinated by the RCH Foundation.
A Celebration of Life is more than just a namesake – it
is a statement of truth shared by the NNU team and all
those it exists to support today and in the future.
HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER
NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNITS
The Royal Children’s Hospital Neonatal Unit provides
highly specialised care to the sickest newborn infants
from all over Australia and the Pacific Islands.
It supports and treats a UNIQUE group of babies with
UNIQUE needs and is the only Unit of its kind that
can assist babies who require treatments not available
at other Neonatal Units in Victoria and in some
cases, Australia.
Each year:
• Over 700 babies are transferred to the NNU by
the Newborn Emergency Transport Service (NETS).
• Over 40% of the babies undergo major surgery.
• Over 300 babies receive artificial ventilation via
mechanical respirators.
• Most of the babies are seen by specialist doctors
from the many medical disciplines available only at
The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
• The highly complex paediatric investigative
services including MRI, CT scans, digital angiography,
fluoroscopy, endoscopy, electroencephalography,
metabolic and laboratory tests, echocardiography
and cardiac catheter are not available at many
other hospitals.
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
In the last decade there have been many achievements
in the care given to babies in the Royal Children’s
Hospital Neonatal Unit.
Some of the highlights are:
High frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is a
highly sophisticated form of artificial respiration in
which very sick babies are ventilated at breathing rates
of up to 900 breaths per minute. The Neonatal Unit was
the first Intensive Care Unit in Australia to introduce this
technology in 1992 and this was the result of a careful
and strategic research and training program. We now run
training courses for other intensive care Units around
the country.
We are the only intensive care unit in the country that
employs High Frequency Jet Ventilation. This technology
is a life saver for babies with the most severe forms of
lung disease.
Together with our colleagues at the Royal Melbourne
Hospital we have led the way in the management of
a rare form of cerebral aneurysm (an abnormality of
arteries and veins in and surrounding the brain) by
interventional radiology thus providing both survival
and favourable outcomes to many babies who in other
centres would have died.
Our craniofacial surgeons have pioneered a form of
jaw lengthening operations for babies born with facial
abnormalities such as Pierre Robin Sequence.
This surgery has produced stunningly successful
outcomes and revolutionized the care of these conditions.
Together with our Neurology colleagues we are
investigating ways to improve the outcomes for the
sickest babies including those with Post
Haemorphragic Ventricular Dilation (commonly
occurring in very premature babies) and have pioneered
the use of MRI technology and bedside EEG monitoring
in a neonatal environment.
We provide the best outcomes in the country for
a condition called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.
This is where a baby is born with a large hole in the
diaphragm resulting in the intestines being present in
the chest thus compressing the lungs. The condition
requires the combined skills of neonatologists,
nurses, cardiologists and surgeons. Our outcomes
for this previously lethal condition are second to
none in the world. Survival of this condition provides
a normal life for these babies.
Our nursing staff has pioneered the management and
prevention of pain in sick babies and has led the way
in surgical wound care. The nursing staff is continuing
to provide the best care to sick infants round the clock
every day of the year.
We have recently appointed the first Professor of
Neonatal Nursing Research in Australia. Our Music
Therapist is looking at ways to improve the quality of
life on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the sick
babies. We provide a home apnea monitoring service
for babies who are at risk of and for their parents who

are worried about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Most of the advances over the years have been made
possible by the very strong commitment to research
and education by all members of the Neonatal Unit.
The best care of the sickest infants cannot occur without
the valuable achievements provided through research
and education.
ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
NEONATAL UNIT VISION
The Neonatal Unit will become the benchmark of world’s
best practice for the care of the sickest newborn babies
and their families.
ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
NEONATAL UNIT MISSION
The Neonatal Unit will improve the health
outcomes for newborn babies by:
• Providing the best and full range of tertiary
and quaternary specialist care for the sickest
babies in Australia and internationally.
• Providing undergraduate and postgraduate
education in medical, nursing and allied
health disciplines.
• Initiating and conducting research to enhance
the clinical care of our patients.
• Providing information, health promotion,
resources, education and advocacy for the
families of our patients.
In order to maintain our mission and
achieve our vision we need to:
• Attract and retain the best medical nursing
and allied health professional staff.
• Establish world’s best practice medical and
nursing care of sick newborn infants.
• Acquire and maintain essential and cutting
edge equipment.
• Improve access to and availability of newborn
intensive care beds.
• Improve the space and the environment in
the clinical areas.
• Improve the facilities for the families of
the babies.
• Improve and maintain the infrastructure and
facilities for research.
• Improve and maintain the infrastructure and
facilities for education.
• Update and improve the Neonatal Unit website.
Funds raised are used by The Royal Children’s
Hospital Neonatal Unit to:
1. Purchase and maintain essential and cutting edge
equipment in order to provide the best possible care
for the babies.
2. Improve the bed availability in the Neonatal Unit by
providing and equipping additional intensive care cots.
3. Helps mantain the brand new Neonatal Unit which
provides world’s best facilities and environment for the
sickest babies and their families.
4. Support ongoing research and education in the
Neonatal Unit.

03
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Dr Rod Hunt
Dr Rod Hunt
The past six months have seen much activity and many
significant changes in the NNU. We have had the busiest
clinical period ever experienced by our unit, admitting 332
of the sickest babies in Victoria, and providing high quality
clinical care to ensure the best possible outcomes. This
extended period of high demand has placed the incredible
medical and nursing staff of the NNU under great pressure,
and I have been overwhelmingly impressed by how they
continue to rise to the challenge. They really are a fantastic
team to be a part of. Our Allied Health colleagues –
physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech
therapists, music therapists, psychologists and social
workers – have also worked extremely hard ensuring that
the neurodevelopmental and psychosocial needs of our
patients and their families are met.
Our Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Simonne Jollye,
has recently successfully completed all the requirements
demanded of her to obtain her registration with the
Nursing Board of Victoria, and continues to provide
excellent care within the NNU. I am sure that Simonne
will inspire other nursing staff to consider a career in
this extended role.
It is with some sadness that we have officially farewelled
our previous Director, Dr Peter McDougall, and our
Nursing Unit Manager, Ms Sheri Waldron. Both Peter and
Sheri have been promoted within the organisation to
executive positions and The Royal Children’s Hospital is
very fortunate to retain their experience and dedication.
We look forward to working with them in their new roles as
Executive Director of Medical Services (Peter McDougall)
and Director of Acute Operations (Sheri Waldron).
They have both left big shoes to fill and we are currently
recruiting a new Nurse Unit Manager.
On a personal note, I am looking forward to the challenges
and rewards of leading this great team into another period
of change, as we prepare to move into a new Children’s
Hospital at the end of 2011. With this in mind we again
contemplate what will be required to provide the best
medical and nursing care and we humbly look to our many
generous benefactors for ongoing support. We are busily
preparing for our annual Celebration of Life Ball – the 8th
since it’s inception in 2003. It promises to be a great night
of celebration and we look forward to seeing you there.
We also look forward to Opera in the Roses at Cruden Farm,
a very special event on the NNU Calendar. We are very
fortunate to have the ongoing patronage of Dame Elisabeth
Murdoch and are grateful to the event committee, whose
commitment to Neonatal fundraising remains unsurpassed.
With very best wishes,
Dr Rod Hunt, FRACP, MMed, PhD
Director, Neonatal Medicine
RCH FOUNDATION
DONOR DEVELOPMENT
MANAGER’S REPORT
DONNA ARANYI
It has been a very busy time for NNU fundraising and I feel
fortunate and privileged to have met and worked with so
many of our fantastic supporters since our last edition of
NNU News. I have enjoyed working with our donors,
raising funds and awareness of the NNU for nearly six
years now (time flies when you’re having fun!), and regard
our achievements as successful and ever growing. Part of
this success is due to the commitment demonstrated by
the staff of the NNU towards fundraising. There have
been many events and activities that have been attended
by NNU staff over the years, and I would like to extend
my deepest thanks to them all for not only representing
the NNU but trusting in the RCH Foundation in a
fundraising partnership.
The NNU is a great example of a hospital department
working hand-in-hand with the RCH Foundation to raise
awareness and funds that support its work, keep it’s
families engaged and empowers it’s supporters through
lasting relationships that are mutually valuable and
successful. I would like to mention the fundraising
commitment of Dr Peter McDougall and Sheri Waldron.
As you now know, both Peter and Sheri have left the NNU
to take up other positions within the RCH. I have lost count
of the number of events that we have attended together
over the years, representing the NNU & RCH Foundation
and making many new friends and donors along the way. I
would like to thank them personally for their unwavering
support and for always “being there” when I have needed
them to assist with fundraising activities. Sheri and Peter
have been at my side, helping me to do my job as a
fundraiser - conducted numerous tours of the NNU,
manned Cashier’s Desks at functions, made speeches, run
BBQ’s, sold raffle tickets and generally supported and
assisted wherever possible. The impression that this
support has made on our donors/supporters/NNU families
has been outstanding and greatly contributed to the
satisfaction and appreciation that they feel when making
the fundraising contribution towards neonatal care. I, too,
have been impressed by them and shall miss their
support. I wish them every success and hope that they
both know how grateful I feel towards them for their
friendship and for their fundraising support over the years.
I look forward to working with Dr Rod Hunt, who has
recently been appointed as Director of the NNU. Rod is
another amazing individual from the NNU and made a
brilliant speech at last year’s Gala Ball. Rod is a great
asset to the NNU Team and also to NNU fundraising, where
he too, has supported on many occasions and possesses
a sincere understanding regarding the importance of donor
relationships and appreciation. Speaking of the Gala Ball,
this year’s Annual A Celebration of Life Gala Ball, will be
held on Thursday 16th September 2010 at the Palladium,
Crown Casino and looks set to be another stunning affair!
Special thanks to Ann Peacock and Crown for their major
sponsorship of this annual event, now in its 8th year! You
will have received information regarding this event with
this edition of NNU News. It is a night for all advocates of
the NNU to come together and celebrate the very special
people and work of this incredible department of the RCH.
This year’s Event Committee, led by Catherine Cervasio,
Helen Reizer, Ian Kirkwood, Craig Douglas, Jo Larsen,
Marie Popple and Shereen Kiddle are working hard to
ensure that this year’s event is another fantastic night and
with year’s theme being “A Celebration of Love”, is sure to
be another special and memorable occasion. We welcome
Matt & Melissa Hetherington as our Special Event Hosts
this year, have exceptional and talented entertainers
performing and a few surprises up our sleeves as well. I
hope to see you there!
I would also like to thank the many NNU families and
supporters that continue to acknowledge the work of the
NNU – you will read about some of them in this edition.
I would like to thank Mrs Freda Symons, who recently
celebrated her 80th Birthday and asked her guests to make
a donation to the NNU in gratitude for the care received by
her Great Grandson Jacob; Pippa Jacobson recently
celebrated her 1st Birthday and raised funds for the NNU,
special thanks to Pippa and her family and friends for their
wonderful fundraising efforts; special thanks to Data 3 who
ran a Staff Trivia Night and raised funds for the NNU; NAB
for conducting a morning tea in support of the NNU;
Domain Charter Group for their ongoing commitment to
NICU Cot Donation Program; Kathryn Duncan and Family
for their ongoing support and the many other companies
and individuals who have supported us.
THANK YOU ALL!
There are so many wonderful people working so hard to
help raise funds and awareness of the work of the NNU at
RCH. There are no words that adequately express our
gratitude…just a knowledge that every cent raised is put
to very good work for the NNU. Thank you to all those who
have never hesitated to lend a hand, offer support, advice,
guidance, a word of comfort…I am deeply inspired by all
those who form our neonate family and I look forward to
our continued partnerships and friendships that have been
created as a result.
Please enjoy reading this edition of NNU News – special
thanks to Printhouse Group & DNA Artworks for their
graphic design support and sponsorship of the newsletter
and to all those that made a contribution and shared their
stories with us - you are all truly amazing! Grab a warm
drink, a snugly blanket and find a cosy spot to curl up in
and enjoy all that is on offer in this edition of NNU News.
Till next time, keep warm, take care and I hope to
see you at the Ball with your dancing shoes on!
Donna Aranyi
XXX

UNIT MANAGER’S
REPORT
SHERI WALDRON
Hello everyone,
Sadly, this is my last entry as former Nurse Unit Manager
(NUM) of the Neonatal Unit. I have accepted a new role at
RCH - Director of Acute Operations and Hospital
Performance. This means I oversee the management of
NNU; Paediatric Intensive Care Unit; Emergency
Department and Access; the Bed Management and
Elective Surgery Manager and After Hours Coordinators.
A broad role that I am sure will be challenging and
inspiring and one that allows a continuing relationship
with the NNU.
I have worked in the NNU for 15 years, the last 10 have
been as NUM. It has been an absolute joy for me and
from a career perspective I was given extraordinary
opportunities and support during that time through the
highs and not many lows of the NNU history!!
I would like to acknowledge the Neonatal Team as a whole
- you are incredible and the reason why I stayed within
the Unit for 15 years!! I can only liken it to having an
extended family of nearly 100 staff and I miss not seeing
some of you every day. Your dedication, passion and
commitment to the sickest infants and their families
in Victoria always inspired me and made me proud to be
working with such special people- thank you for making my
time in NNU the best time in my nursing career to date!
My thanks also must extend to the many families who
continue to fundraise on behalf of the Neonatal Unit and
to our incredible sponsors who have supported us
particularly over the past 8 years with our Annual
Celebration of Life Gala Ball. I look forward to catching
up with some of you at this year’s event on 16th September.
I would also like to acknowledge a few of the staff who
have influenced and supported me over the years.
Dr Peter McDougall - former Medical Director of NNU
who I had the privilege of working with as NUM in the past
10 years - thank you for your mentorship and leadership
of the NNU. Peter was integral to the appointment of
Dr Rod Hunt as an NNU Consultant a few years ago and
it is very exciting that Rod has recently been appointed as
the new Medical Director of the NNU and he will lead
them into the new Royal Children’s Hospital in 2011.
Dr Peter Loughnan - not only for his incredible clinical
wisdom, his uncanny sense of humour - but it has been
his support of both medical and nursing staff over the
years that we all regard him very highly- some people
would go as far as saying they LOVE him!!
To the amazing bedside Nursing Staff, the AUMs - thank
you for your leadership and support of my role and finally
to the newly appointed Education Team - you may be
Carlton and Geelong supporters, but you are doing a
fabulous job, keep up the good work!
With very best wishes,
Sheri Waldron
The Neonate Mates Auxiliary continues to raise important funds for
the Neonatal Unit (NNU) at the RCH, Melbourne.
Established in 2005, the Neonate Mates Auxiliary is
proud to support the life changing work of this very
special Department within the RCH.
The Neonatal Unit provides highly specialized care to
the sickest newborn infants from around Australia and
the Pacific Rim. Whilst babies are not born at the RCH,
they are usually transported immediately following birth
via the NETS Team from leading maternity hospitals to
the NNU, which exists to extend treatments to critically
ill newborns.
The life saving and life changing work of the NNU
inspires all members of the Neonate Mates Auxiliary
who are committed to raising awareness and funds for
this amazing Unit within the RCH. The NNU’s mission
“Giving our sickest babies the best chance – first
chance at life” is a motto that also inspires members
of the Neonate Mates Auxiliary and its supporters.
Fundraising is primarily achieved via the conduct of
stalls held at the hospital a few times each year.
In 2010, some of our funds were utilized to purchase a
replacement electrical breast pump for the NNU, something
we know brings great comfort and convenience to our new
Mums requiring this type of support on the Unit.
We were also very happy to provide
a Mother’s Day Gift – an RCH Auxiliary Overnight
Bag - to each Mum in the NNU on Mother’s Day
this year.
Special thanks to all those that support the Neonate
Mates Auxiliary - new members always welcome!
Please contact Judy Aussems via the RCH
Auxiliaries Office for further information
(03) 9345 5188.
XXX
Neonate
Mates
L-R: Lyn Fleck, Dawn Aranyi, Judy
Aussems and Jane Stumpf.
Share YOUR story in the NNU Newsletter and help raise awareness of the
important work of the Neonatal Unit at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
If you have an inpatient story, family celebration,
fundraising event, thank you note or life after the NNU
story that you would like share with our readers, please
email these to donna.aranyi@rch.org.au along with
any photos you’d like included. Please ensure photos
are high resolution JPEG or TIFF files.
Feedback regarding the newsletter from parents in the
NNU has been extremely positive and they tell us that
reading stories about babies and families that have
had an NNU experience inspires hope, comfort
and a sense of “community”.
Please help us continue to support
our very special families in this way
– we welcome your contributions!

Loving you...
is easy ’cos you’re beautiful...
The
8th
Gala Ball
THURSDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2010
PALLADIUM AT CROWN, SOUTHBANK, VIC
Proudly hosted by Matt and Melissa Hetherington
Inquiries email donna.aranyi@rch.org.au Tel (03) 9345 4510
No refunds after 26th August 2010
ENTERTAINMENT
Special LIVE Performance by
Mark Andrew
Australia’s ultimate tribute entertainer,
“celebrating the lurve” as only Austin Powers can!
www.markandrew.com.au
A 90minute Showcase Spectacular by
The Matt Hetherington Band
led by award winning actor and singer
Matt Hetherington - considered one of the
best LIVE acts in Australia!
Sponsored by
Presented by

06
Special Tributes
to Dr Peter McDougall and Sheri Waldron
Memories…like the corners of our mind…
Peter McDougall officially resigned from his
position as Director of NNU on April 30 2010.
He had served in this role for 10 years, having
first returned to The Royal Children’s Hospital
as a Consultant Neonatologist in 1984.
Peter oversaw many changes within the department,
including moves from the 10th floor to the 2nd floor,
the introduction of mechanical ventilation and high
frequency ventilation, a second move from the 2nd floor
to our current position on the 3rd floor, and Peter has
been instrumental in negotiating many positive aspects
of the unit currently being built in the new Royal
Children’s Hospital.
During his tenure, Peter has provided the highest level
of clinical care to the patients in his charge, and set
an exceptional example of what a true clinical leader
and Consultant Physician should be. Many families
are indebted to Peter for the lives of their children,
as evidenced by the many tributes and thank-you’s
that have arrived in the NNU during this time.
His fine example within the RCH was acknowledged in
2009 when he was awarded the RCH Chairman’s Medal.
Beyond his busy clinical commitments, Peter was a
visionary. He had a strong sense of what was required
to ensure that the Neonatal Unit at The Royal Children’s
Hospital kept its place at the leading edge of this
medical subspecialty. He was a strong advocate for
neonatal research, and recruited and encouraged many
aspiring clinicians who remain within the department
today. Not neglecting his own personal development,
Peter successfully completed an MBA, acquiring skills
that no doubt underpinned his success as the Director.
These skills and a wealth of clinical and administrative
experience, will continue to serve Peter well as he
steps up to his new promotion as Executive Director
of Medical Services at RCH. We look forward to a
new collaboration with Peter, and wish him every
success in this new role.
It is with great sadness that we had to farewell
Sheri Waldron as Nurse Unit Manager from the
NNU in June 2010.
Sheri has been working in the NNU for the past 15
years, the last 10 years as NUM. She has been an
exceptional leader, and the strength and excellence of
our current nursing team are largely due to Sheri’s
efforts in recruitment, mentorship and professional
development of her team. Sheri has set an incredible
example in maintaining the highest standard of clinical
care, and has worked incredibly long hours ensuring
that demands on the nursing team are met. She has
been instrumental in the recruitment, appointment and
support of Victoria’s first Neonatal Nursing Practitioner,
Simonne Jollye.
Sheri has promoted the development of many clinical
practice guidelines within the department, through the
appointment of nursing staff dedicated to this important
role. She has also championed development of nurse
education, both within our unit and at a State level
working with other NUM’s to develop a curriculum for
the tertiary Neonatal Nursing qualification.
Finally, we will miss Sheri’s good humour and clear
thinking. She has demonstrated a high level of
professionalism in dealing with the many crises
that befall a Newborn Intensive Care Unit. We wish
her every success in her new role as Director of
Acute Operations.
Dr Rod Hunt
Michelle Yates, former NNU Nurse Educator and
Clinical Nurse surprised Peter by attending his
final clinical ward round in NNU having been
present at his very first in 1984
So it’s the laughter…
we will remember…
whenever we remember… the way we were.
Chairman's Medal
The Chairman's Medal is awarded to a nominated
member of staff who has made a major contribution to
the hospital in a particular field. Nominees for this
award are noted for their integrity and professionalism.
They are respected by their colleagues and dedicated to
The Royal Children's Hospital and its community.
Nominees reflect the hospital's values of unity, passion,
integrity, excellence and respect. Sheri Waldron
Chairman’s Medal Winner 2006; Dr Peter
McDougall Chairman’s Medal Winner 2009.

07
NAB Morning Tea / MADE WITH LOVE...
NAB Morning Tea for NNU at RCH, Melbourne
Steve Webb and his colleagues representing
nabGroup Credit Risk, a small department of
the National Australia Bank’s Head Office in
Melbourne, recently held a Morning Tea in
support of the babies and families of the NNU
at RCH, Melbourne.
Steve explains, “Our department conducts a monthly
fundraising activity, and at the suggestion of one of our
staff, we chose the Neonatal Unit of the Royal Children's
Hospital for our April fundraising effort. On this
occasion, NAB kindly donated $300 of Haigh's Easter
Eggs that were raffled, and we were delighted to raise
just over $1,100 for the RCH's Neonatal Unit, a record
for our department! It's a small gesture, but a genuine
one on the part of a small group of staff who
do what we can on a regular basis to give back to the
community that we are all part of”.
It was the RCH Foundation’s pleasure to welcome
Steve and Gerri McHendrie to present their wonderful
donation to Sheri Waldron in the NNU on 27th June,
where they also enjoyed a brief tour of the NNU.
We are indebted to Steve, Gerri and their generous
colleagues for raising these funds and also learning
more about the work of this very special Unit at the
RCH, Melbourne – thank you guys!
Made with love… Mentone Girls’ Secondary College
support the NNU at RCH, Melbourne
The Neonatal Unit at RCH, Melbourne was the
lucky recipient of sixty baby wraps, which had
been lovingly sewn by students of Year 7B at
Mentone Girls’ Secondary College.
The idea was provided to the S.R.C (Student
Representative Council) by Natalie Stewart and
supported by her teachers, Leah Liakos and
Stephanie Cappuccio, who assisted in the
organization of the project.
The students made the beautiful wraps from material
which was generously provided at a discount from
Carmels Fabrics of Mentone.
On behalf of the staff and babies of NNU, a huge
thank-you to Leah, Stephanie and all the students.
Your time and effort to support our work in this way,
is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
Melissa Stewart
Nurse, NNU at RCH, Melbourne
Sheri Waldron with
Steve Webb and Gerri McHendrie

08
Roll Up, Roll Up!
Celebrating Pippa's very special 1st Birthday
As with all children in the NNU family, Pippa was
born in need of urgent medical assistance.
Pippa was born with severe breathing difficulties
caused by a left sided congenital diaphragmatic
hernia (a hole in the left side of the diaphragm
allowing her stomach, large and small intestine to
herniate into the chest cavity thereby compressing
her lung). Fortunately for us, the RCH is probably
the best place in the world to have this condition.
Due to the amazing staff at the NNU, 4 weeks later
we were able to take a healthy Pippa home. Those
4 weeks were the longest and hardest of our lives,
but we soon learnt our family was one of the lucky
ones, we got off lightly.
As Pippa's 1st birthday drew closer we realised how
quickly life can pass you by, how quickly you forget and
how you can take life for granted. The dawning of Pippa's
birthday was a reality check for us, a time to reflect and
consider how lucky we are and how special she is.
We started to plan a 1st birthday party much like we did
for Pippa's older sister and brother. But soon the emotion
of our earlier reflections took hold and we realised we
wanted to do something different, something we could
do to give back to those that gave us so much.
The carnival theme was born, we organised a ringmaster
(Grandfather!) to conduct proceedings, fairies for face
painting and kids activities and more importantly adult
games - the egg and spoon race, the 3 legged race and
the human card game (corners)!
What was originally planned to be only immediate family
and a few friends quickly grew to 130 people. With the
generous support of friends, family and the local
community we were able to have raffles, silent auctions
and a live auction conducted by Ted Shackelton of Noel
Jones. It's days like these that you realise 'blood's
thicker than water' - our family was amazing, not only in
organising auction items, prizes, food and drinks but
also in running the day's events. It made our day not only
relaxing but both enjoyable and memorable.
A speech by Pippa's Neonatologist Dr Peter Loughnan
certainly stirred the emotions of those in attendance.
Our final tally raised over $20,000 for the NNU - we
would have been thrilled to raise half as much but this
was just overwhelming. We look forward to presenting
our donation to Dr Rod Hunt at this year's Gala Ball.
We would sincerely like to thank the remarkable staff of
the NNU - we hope they read our story and take heart in
the fact the job they do 'day in, day out' makes a world
of difference to many needy families and we are just
so grateful.
Shane & Justine Jacobson & Families
Dr Peter Loughnan & Pippa

Save the date!
At Cruden Farm
Supporting the Neonatal Unit at RCH, Melbourne
Proudly patroned by Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AM DBE
And hosted within the EXCLUSIVE grounds of
Cruden Farm, Langawarrin, VIC
Friday 26th November
Midday – onwards
Official Invitations September 2010
Please contact Opera in the Roses Event Committee Chairwoman, Judy Hooper on 0411 407 946 or judith.hooper@gmail.com
for further information or to be added to our mailing list.
Funds raised at this event support the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) at the RCH, Melbourne. The NNP is a registered nurse with
clinical expertise in neonatal nursing who has received formal education with supervised clinical experience in the management of sick
newborns and their families. The NNP manages a caseload of Neonatal patients with consultation, collaboration and general
supervision from a physician. Utilising the extensive knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physiology acquired, the NNP
exercises independent judgement in the assessment, diagnosis and initiation of certain delegated medical processes and procedures. As
an advanced practice neonatal nurse the NNP is additionally involved in education, consultation and research at various levels.
The establishment of the NNP role within the NNU at RCH further optimisse the care of infants and their families through the
integration of nursing and medical roles at an advanced level. The NNP position will encompass the promotion of evidence based
nursing care through research, promote autonomy, professional control and personal achievement for the clinical nurses who possess
high level communication skills and clinical expertise to promote professional nursing practice at this advanced level.
A quote from Dr Rod Hunt, Director NNU
“Our NNP, Simonne Jollye, the first NNP appointed in Victoria, has settled in and is a tremendous asset to our team. Her enthusiasm and dedication
to her work will certainly inspire other Neonatal Nurses to expand their fields of practice. We are indebted to Judy Hooper and the Opera in the Roses
Event Committee, it’s supporters and Dame Elisabeth Murdoch – event Patron, for raising the funds that help to make this vital position a reality”.
This year’s event is not to be missed – tickets strictly limited,
book early to avoid disappointment!

10
Sponsor Profile
Sunrise Plastics
Interview with Richard Stumpf
Director Sunrise Plastics
Who is Richard Stumpf, what makes
him tick
I am a married to my wonderful wife Angie and am
Father to our three beautiful children Evan, Ruby both
5 years old and Gabriel who is 3. I enjoy the simple
things in life with my family, holidaying at the family
property on the Murray River, spending the day at the
football, and catching up with other family and friends
and their children. We are also looking forward to
fulfilling our dream of hooking up the caravan and
taking the family on a 12 month trip around Australia
beginning in January 2013. I also believe it is
important to be as generous in life as your means
enable you to be, not just on a financial scale but on a
physical and emotional level as well. Generosity makes
one lift on the inside.
Tell us about Sunrise Plastics.
Sunrise Plastics is a family owned manufacturing
operation located in Boronia at the foot of the
Dandenong Ranges catering predominantly for the rigid
food packaging market. The company was founded by
my father, Richard Stumpf senior in 1976 and operated
out of small rented premises in Heidelberg West
specialising then in thin wall tooling for the injection
moulding industry. As the business expanded the
operation was relocated to larger premises in Box Hill
in January 1984. Realising the future of Toolmaking in
Australia would be seriously affected because of
offshore competitive markets. Sunrise purchased an
adjoining factory to diversify the company by means of
branching into injection moulding. In August 2000 the
company again moved to a purpose built facility which
is now our current address.
Any career highlights
After the passing of Richard senior in June 2003 a
career highlight would have to be realising my father's
vision of expansion and adding on phase one of our
extension namely a 1500sqm warehouse in May
2007 followed by phase two being an additional
1000sqm warehouse.
How did you come to support the NNU
at RCH
I first became aware of the NNU at the RCH through
my mother's voluntary work with the Neonate Mate
Auxiliary at the Hospital.
In what ways have you supported the
fundraising needs of the NNU
Sunrise Plastics is proud to have the opportunity to
support to the NNU at the RCH by attending the Annual
Celebration of Life Gala Ball, supporting the Silent
Auction and Main Auction and sponsoring a Neonatal
Intensive Care Cot on an annual basis. The support
Sunrise Plastics can offer in a financial capacity is our
Richard Stumpf, wife Angie and three children Evan, Ruby and Gabriel
If it is worth doing
every effort has to be
made to do the best you
can or don't bother.
small way of contributing to the truly amazing work that
the staff at RCH undertakes.
How has your involvement and support
made you feel
It was not until the birth of our twins Evan and Ruby in
2005 that I realised the extent and nature of the care
required for newborn babies born with complications.
Fortunately for us our little Ruby required special care
however not to the extent of what the little babies in the
NNU have to endure. I feel privileged to be able to help
in any way possible.
Would you recommend supporting the
NNU to other businesses
Absolutely. A truly worthy cause.
To finish, what’s your favourite quote
and why
“Go Hard or Go Home” would be my catch cry for life.
If it is worth doing every effort has to be made to do the
best you can or don't bother.

11
PATIENT PROFILES
Lucas Clifford
After two attempts, we finally received confirmation
we were having a boy at our 35-week scan, where
it was also discovered that our baby had a blocked
kidney. The doctor assured us it was nothing to
worry about, they would re-assess it when the
baby was two months old and more than likely it
would fix itself.
Tuesday, 9 January came around very fast and just
after 8.00am, Lucas James Jack, was born via caesarean
section. Lucas appeared healthy and we knew his lungs
were working perfectly as he let out a huge scream when
he had his first look at the real world.
The following day, something wasn’t quite right and my
motherly instincts began to take over. Lucas wasn’t
interested in feeding, however the midwives put it down
to the hot weather. There was no air conditioning, so the
rooms were quite hot and apparently babies don’t feed
too well in the heat. Lucas also hadn’t had a bowel
movement except for a few smears, which we thought
was because he was not feeding. He was also vomiting
green; the midwives also put that down to mucus.
All the danger signs were there, however there was one
problem…. nobody realised.
We checked out of hospital on the Thursday, with Lucas
being just over 48 hours old. Brendan and I were really
excited and dying to get him home to see our girls.
Whilst the temperature had cooled, Lucas still
wasn’t feeding.
We had a midwife visit us on the Friday, she thought
Lucas looked a little jaundiced and had lost weight. She
arranged for another midwife, who was present at Lucas’
birth, to visit the following day (Saturday) to decide
whether Lucas might need to go under lights, but in the
mean time it was suggested I feed him every 3 hours
and hopefully the jaundice might disappear.
Feeding him 3 hourly was impossible as Lucas wasn’t
hungry. On Friday night Lucas started vomiting green
more frequently and was gagging quite a bit. As a result I
attempted to syringe drops of milk into his mouth. Nothing
like this had happened when our girls were born, I knew
something was wrong. I couldn’t sleep; I sat up in bed
and watched the clock, watching the minutes tick by.
Every minute that ticked by was another minute Lucas
hadn’t fed. At 4 am I couldn’t take it any longer, Brendan
rang our local hospital and spoke to a midwife who said
this didn’t sound right and to come up straight away.
Dr Nick Theiss was the pediatrician that was on call and
as soon as he saw Lucas they took him and put him in an
incubator. They removed his clothes and inserted a nasal
gastric tube up his nose. We knew Lucas was sick but
never realised how sick he actually was. Brendan asked
Dr Nick to give us the best and worst case scenarios.
They were: Best Case: Bowel Obstruction; Middle Case:
Hirschsprungs Disease; Worst Case: Cystic Fibrosis.
We were then told that he had to be flown to Melbourne
with NETS (Neonatal Emergency Transport Service) as
soon as possible. Dr Nick was straight on the phone
trying to see where he could get Lucas a bed, with the
choices either The Royal Children’s Hospital or Monash
Medical Center. Dr Nick was hoping he could get Lucas
a bed at the Children’s Hospital. He told us his gut
feeling was that Lucas had Hirschsprungs Disease and if
this was confirmed, he would be operated on as soon as
he arrived at the hospital.
Oh my God! We couldn’t believe it! We just sat there in
tears and total shock.
We arrived at the hospital about five minutes after Lucas
and it was a big eye opener. It was a place that I never
wanted to see the inside of and here we were on the 2nd
floor, inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Brendan and I were just numb. Our poor little man was
supposed to be home in his bassinette wrapped in his
bunny rug and here we were. On arrival, the doctors
advised their need to run some preliminary tests in order
to determine Lucas’ condition. Brendan went with the
doctors and surgeon Dr Joe Crameri to find out what it
was that was making our little man so sick, while I sat in
the waiting room. At about 10:30pm the surgeon came
out and told us he believed it was Hirschsprungs Disease,
he also thought it was low down in the bowel and as a
result, a biopsy would be taken the following day (Monday).
The biopsies were performed and the results returned
very quickly - Lucas had Hirschsprungs Disease.
We were then told that Lucas would need to have a bowel
operation, so that he would be able to have bowel
movements. They explained that Hirschsprungs Disease
is when a section of the baby’s bowel has dead nerves
and doesn’t work; in simple terms the poo is unable to
travel straight through to the anus. It stops where the
dead nerve endings start and causes a blockage.
They explained that the lower in the bowel, the more
favourable the operation. If the section of bowel was too
high up, Lucas would have to have a stoma and bag to
rest the bowel and then have further surgery a few
months later. We wouldn’t find out for sure until Lucas
was operated on but they were silently confident that it
was low down in this case. In the mean time, he would
have rectal washouts.
The next day, Lucas was moved to Room 1 where there
were a lot less machines and the majority of babies were
in cots not incubators. It was so much easier to see
Lucas in a cot rather than an incubator. Being in Room 1
meant Lucas’ wash outs began.
We were taught how to wash Lucas out with a catheter
and saline. After watching the nurses perform this twice,
we then had to perform it ourselves every eight hours;
the nurses did it in the early hours of the morning.
This procedure would be done up until the operation and
at this stage Dr Joe Crameri was saying the operation
would be performed anywhere from one month to three
months of age depending on Lucas’ weight gain.
They explained they would rather operate on Lucas
when he was bigger.
When Lucas started feeding he was given small amounts
of 20mls and slowly it was increased to 70mls. There
was a little trouble with getting Lucas to take the breast
milk from a bottle and often nurses would just syringe it
through his nasal tube straight to his stomach.
There was a day there that we thought, "is he going to
make it through" He seemed to be doing so well, he
was drinking from the breast and they had taken him off
the drip but then he went downhill really fast. They took
him off his feeds and put the drip straight back in.
Millions of little bubbles had formed in his stomach.
I found this really hard to handle and they suggested that
we go home and have a rest. I went home to bed and
cried and cried and cried. It seemed to be two steps
forward and one step back. You’d get your hopes up and

12
PATIENT PROFILES
Lucas Clifford
they would be dashed by the next day… and then some
days everything was fine again, which we found out.
They called us early the next morning and said, “Can
you please come in as soon as you can, Lucas did really
well over night, and he’s back off the drip and can be
breastfed again.”
After speaking to Dr Joe Crameri, we were given a date
for the operation it was Wednesday, 7 February. We had
to be at the hospital at 7.00am for Lucas’ operation. We
couldn’t wait! We knew that as soon as Lucas had this
operation that he would be a normal little baby. The
hardest bit was handing Lucas over to the surgeons. He
was out of our hands and in the hands of a specialist
team of about 6 people. They reassured us everything
would be fine but also had to tell us about the things that
could go wrong.
distended. The surgeon wasn’t happy and decided
to take Lucas back off his feeds until it went down,
and then they would slowly increase them again.
That wasn’t what we wanted to hear.
It was a couple of days before Lucas was back
feeding again and everything was looking good.
The doctors on their morning rounds were very happy
with Lucas’ progress, although his stomach was still
a little distended. Finally on the Monday I arrived at the
hospital to hear that I could breast feed Lucas and if
they went well throughout the day, we could take him
home. I couldn’t ring Brendan quick enough.
So it looked like we were going home. We were finally
back on the road to Warrnambool, we could not wait
to get home and for everything to be normal again.
No more Melbourne! No more hospitals! And no more
washouts…so we thought.
Almost three years later, we have found ourselves back
at the RCH. Lucas and his big sister Sienna, had a
blocked kidney and would need to have a pyeloplasty
and a stent. Both operations have gone well and we are
still going through a process of tests to determine
whether the operations were a success. I have no doubt.
We would like to thank The Royal Children's Hospital
- we will be forever grateful to them for taking care of
Lucas, not once but twice and also his sister Sienna, for
helping them become two happy and healthy little kids.
Carla and Brendan Clifford
Brendan and I sat in the car for most of the operation
and then we went up and waited in the Waiting Room.
Finally, after four hours Lucas was out and in Recovery.
We rushed in there to see him and were taken aback a
little, as it didn’t look like him. Lucas was very swollen.
Brendan lifted back Lucas’s blanket really slowly. We still
didn’t know whether they were able to do a pull through
surgery or whether they had to do a stoma. When the
blanket was peeled back there was no bag! We were
ecstatic! We left the room to text everyone the good
news and speak to the surgeon Dr Joe, who told us
Lucas had the best possible outcome. We were then
taken to the 4th floor, the surgical floor, where Lucas
would spend the week recovering from his operation.
The nurses who were looking after Lucas explained that
he wasn’t allowed to be fed until he had a bowel
movement, which could be days. Generally two to three.
So we were quite surprised when we arrived the next day
for the nurses to tell us that Lucas had already had a
bowel movement and was allowed to start 20 ml feeds.
They slowly increased it over that day and then the
following day they allowed me to breastfeed. Day 3
became a setback when Lucas’ stomach became
PHOTOS L-R: Photo 01: Lucas in Intesive care ;
Photo 02: Lucas after kidney surgery;
Photo 03: Brendan with Lucas;
Photo 04: After bowel surgery with dad;
Photo 05: After kidney surgery;
Photo 06: Carla & Lucas at the ICU in the NNU;
Photo 07: Sienna after kidney surgery;
Photo 08: Paris, Sienna & Lucas;
Photo 09: Sienna before surgery in day unit;
Photo 10: Carla & Lucas.

RCH Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit Cot Donations -
5000 good reasons to lend
your support….
Photo Baby Thomas, NNU @ RCH 2007
Make a lasting contribution to excellence in Neonatal care by donating a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Cot
in the Neonatal Unit at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
On average, the operational cost of one
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Cot is $250,000 per annum.
There are 5000 good reasons to justify the availability of these MOBILE LIFE SUPPORT CENTRES
- the moment a baby in distress requires specialized treatment, cost should no longer present a factor
- every baby’s life is precious and priceless and deserves the “very best chance – first chance at life”.
We ask that you individually, as a family, as a company or even as a group of friends consider a 12 month Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Cot
sponsorship of $5,000 which will ensure the maintenance of our current cots with the most advanced and life saving equipment available.
Your kindness and support will be recognized with the placement of an individually engraved plaque, dedicated in the name
of the sponsor/family/ company, which is mounted on the Cot for the duration of the donations.
Your donation will help to ensure the comfort and care of our sickest babies.
Please contact Donna Aranyi at The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation on (03) 9345 4510 for further information – thank you for your support!

14
Elise Sneddon Foundation
Annual AFL Grand Final Family Day
Elise Sneddon Foundation
Annual AFL Grand Final Family Day
Saturday 25th September 2010
1:00pm til 5:30 pm
The Kidz Playshak
216-230 Blackshaws Road,
Altona North, Vic
Great day out for whole family!
Fun activities for all ages!
Watch the game LIVE in the cosy Lounge!
Proudly sponsored by Crayola Australia
Bookings/further information, please contact Kerryn Sneddon 0409 132 654
or Robert Sneddon on 0423 022 312

15
The Charlotte Duncan Award 2010
The secret of my success
The Charlotte Duncan Award has been
established in Charlotte’s memory to raise
funds for the Neonatal Unit at Melbourne’s
Royal Children’s Hospital. Charlotte was born
on September 8th, 2008 with a brain injury,
the cause of which is unknown. She died on
September 17th, aged nine days.
The care and support offered to Charlotte
and her family was exemplary and
highlighted the work the hospital does caring
for young babies.
Determined that this was going to be something
more than a bad experience, Charlotte’s family,
through their business, Celapene Press, established
the Charlotte Duncan Award, an award for a short
story written for readers aged between 9 and 12
years. In the past 2 years, we have raised over $900
which has been donated to the Unit.
Congratulations to Sharon Hammad whose
story, The secret of my success, won the 2010
Charlotte Duncan Award.
Second prize -
Marian McGuinness for Invisible Gran
Third prize -
Liliane Grace for Sam and
the knight suit
Celapene Press
Commendation - Peta Biggin for
The best scarf in the world, a diary
Copies can be ordered at:
www.celapenepress.com.au or contact
Kathryn Duncan on 0409 933 930.
The Secret of My Success
by Sharon Hammad First Prize - Charlotte Duncan Award 2010
I stand on the block, my toes gripping the edge. It slopes
forward, designed to tip me off. Bright blue water
stretches like a tarpaulin below me.
The tang of chlorine tickles my nostrils. I shiver. My skin
erupts in goosebumps and hairs stick up, thick as
coconut on a lamington.
Liam's spit bubbles at the corner of his mouth as his lips
stretch over his teeth. His stare is as intense as sunlight
passing through a magnifying glass. If I were a leaf,
I'd catch fire. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his
thumb and forefinger form the letter 'L'. L is for loser.
The loser is me.
In Liam's case, L is for lucky, not because he is the best
swimmer in the school or because his name is in the
newspaper all the time. Liam is lucky because his mum
is always around. She even works in the school canteen.
I haven't seen my mum since she went away when I was
a baby. Liam's mum obviously cares about him a lot
more than my mum cares about me.
Every week we have swimming lessons. Our coach
marches up and down the side of the pool yelling, 'Blow,
blow, breathe'. Every time I try, my arms and legs thrash
about as though I am fighting off the Loch Ness monster.
Water splashes everywhere it shouldn't - especially on
my coach.
He's too busy getting Liam ready for the next Olympics
to bother with me. He sends me to the baby pool to
practise kicking. I practise being a Mexican-walking-fish
instead. And when Liam sees me, he practises making
my life miserable.
'Zo-ey Ze-ro,' is his favourite chant. The other kids at
school join in. The name repeats over and over in my
head so that when I go to bed at night, I count zeros
instead of sheep.
One day, in a desperate attempt to stop Liam tormenting
me, I put my name down for a race in the school
swimming carnival. It had the opposite effect. 'Zo-ey
Ze-ro. She's no he-ro. She will sink be-fore you blink,'
he sang.
As the carnival came closer, I knew I was in big trouble. I
had to learn to swim. Fast. And I had to learn to swim
fast. But how
Then, I had an idea. If I could get Dad to go to the
gym next door to the pool, I could get him to take me
with him...
'Dad, have you noticed how your belly sticks out over
your trousers How do you know if your shoelaces are
undone You could fall over and break your neck.
Then who would look after me You should exercise
more. I know, you could join the gym.'
That part was simple. The complicated part was figuring
out how to learn to swim without having lessons.
Besides, the blow-blow-breathe method hadn't worked
for me.
Before he left me at the pool, Dad asked the lifeguard if
she would please make sure I didn't drown. The lifeguard
was a grumpy old lady who looked as though she
couldn't save a stamp from an envelope. She had a
hooky nose and teeth missing when she opened her
mouth to yell at someone. The way she blew her whistle
and pointed her long, bony finger, she wasn't there for
people to have fun. I decided to stay as far away from her
as I could.
I lay in the water and watched the little kids having
lessons. They laughed even though the water splashed
up their noses and made them cough. With their tiny
goggles on, they looked like blowflies. They weren't
afraid to dive into the deep end of the pool either.
While everyone watched the cute little kids, no-one
watched me. I copied everything they did. I hung onto
the edge to kick my legs. I turned my head to the side to
take breaths. I blew bubbles with my face in the water.
Yet every time I tried to swim, my body behaved like a
pet rock.
Then, one day the lifeguard shoved a pair of flippers at
me. 'Take these.'
I scanned them suspiciously. They were perfectly
ordinary-looking orange and blue flippers.
'I thought they'd help me do ballet,' I said.
The lifeguard shrugged. 'It's not my swimming carnival
next week.'
'How did you know'
The lifeguard's grin resembled a piano keyboard.
'Try them.'
I had to squish my toes inside the flippers to get them
on and I nearly tripped over when I started to walk.

16
The Charlotte Duncan Award 2010
The secret of my success CONTINUED
'They're a bit tight but they'll do the job,' she said.
'They've worked for everyone else.'
'Who'
The lifeguard tapped the side of her nose with her
knobby finger. 'That's confidential, I'm afraid. If I were to
tell you, the flippers might lose their magic powers.'
'What powers'
'I've got to get back to work now.' She was still smiling
as she walked away.
At first, I thought the story of the flippers was a practical
joke. Everyone else teased me, why not the lifeguard
But when I wore the flippers, I seemed to stay afloat and
move faster through the water. I could concentrate on
turning my head to take a breath and I could co-ordinate
my arms better.
Slowly, I began to swallow less water and I didn't need to
thrash about to stop myself from sinking. I could make it
nearly all the way to the end of the lane without a rest,
and I would float up to the surface whenever I dived
under water. If the flippers were doing all the work, why
should I care
Unless, of course, I wasn't allowed to wear them in the
race. I found out when I arrived at the swimming carnival
this morning. Well, how would I know if I've never swum
in a race before
So here I am, at the start of the race, realising I've made
the biggest mistake of my life. I feel like I'm standing
high on a rocky cliff and the water is a river far below.
Without the magic flippers, I know I can't swim a stroke.
So it looks as though I'll be called Zoe Zero for the rest of
my life.
I step down, ready to drop out of the race, when I see the
lifeguard standing a little way off. She smiles her
piano-keys smile and taps the side of her nose.
I'm not sure what she is trying to tell me. Only I wonder if
... I can swim without the flippers. If I walk away now, I
will never know.
My legs trembling, I step back onto the block. Liam is
grinning as if he has already 'On your mark. Get set.' Pop!
goes the starting pistol.
I dive into the pool and something wonderful happens.
It's as if I am wearing the magic flippers. I can feel them
squishing my toes, and when I kick, my body glides
through the water as if my feet are propellers. The magic
flippers work whether I wear them or not!
When I reach the end of the pool, the spectators are
cheering wildly. Liam has won the race, but the crowd
is cheering for me.
Afterwards, Liam's mum congratulates me. 'I thought
Liam said you couldn't swim very well, Zoe. You did a
great job today. I'm proud of you.'
Maybe if my mum knew, she'd be proud of me too.
Now I can swim, I don't need the magic flippers any
more so I give them back to the lifeguard. It's funny how
she tosses them into the basket with all the other
flippers, as if they're not really magic after all.
Of course, no-one must ever know the secret of my
success. One thing is for sure: no-one will ever call me
Zoe Zero again.
Fifth Avenue Collection Jewellery
Stephanie Damon
In 2003, our first born, Stephanie, spent many
weeks in the Neonatal Unit at The Royal Children’s
Hospital, Melbourne.
Five days after Steph was born, she became very ill with
ecoli bacterial meningitis. Meningitis is a very severe
virus that can turn a healthy person into a very sick one
in a matter of hours, days. Well that’s what happened to
Steph. A healthy baby born with no problems and only
days later was in the Neonatal Unit at RCH, fighting for
her life. If it wasn’t for the tremendous doctors and
nurses in the Unit, Steph wouldn’t be here today.
Stephanie is now 6 ½ years old and has a very
energetic, determined nature about her; understandably,
she had to fight for her life at such a young age. As first
time parents, my husband Paul and I were completely
overwhelmed with the whole situation. The nurses were
absolutely fantastic and made us feel ‘at home’ as much
as possible in the Neonatal Unit. We drove to the
hospital everyday from Narre Warren to be by Steph’s
side and any changes, the doctors and nurses would
always inform us, whether positive or negative.
It was whilst reading a recent edition of Neonatal News,
that I thought I would like to do a fundraiser for the Unit.
I am an independent jeweller for Fifth Avenue Collection
Jewellery and last week I had an open house at home
and lots of ladies came and purchased the gorgeous
jewellery I had on display. I mentioned to all the ladies
that 10% of sales for the day would be donated to the
NNU at RCH as a personal gesture of thanks for the care
that Steph received all those years ago…The day was a
great success and I am happy to donate these funds in
the hope that they will help the NNU in some way or
another, I know every dollar counts!
I would like to continue to do this with every Fifth Avenue
Collection open house booked through me from now on
and warmly invite anyone interested to contact me for
further information. From the simplest earring to the
most sophisticated neckpiece, Fifth Avenue Collection
has the astonishing ability to influence a room with its
look! Our collection is renowned for its affordable
quality, highlighting a durable finish of gleaming gold or
rich rhodium, solid 14K gold posts, genuine Swarovski
crystal, the hardness and beauty of triple quality cubic
zirconia, lustrous pearls and natural gemstones from
around the world. And adding to its excellence, our
collection is nickel and lead free. Fifth Avenue
Collection, beautiful by day, breathtaking by night!
Supporters are also welcome to view over 4,000 pieces
online at www.fifthavenuecolection.com/ydamon
- I’m sure you will be impressed!
Thanks again to the Neonatal Unit for it’s amazing
support and management of Steph’s earliest needs -
Paul & I will be forever grateful and we hope that our
fundraising efforts serve to make a difference in some
small way – it’s what we can do to help!
Kind regards,
Yolanda Damon
Stephanie today

17
Neonatal Nurse of the Year 2010
Celina Derose
This year’s worthy recipient of the Neonatal Nurse
of the Year is Celina Derose.
This award is in memory of a very special Neonatal Nurse.
Each year, all staff working in the NNU are invited to
nominate a member of our team for this award. This year
there were 17 nominations for our nurses.
Celina has worked in the NNU for many years. Her
nomination comments included statements highlighting
the fact that she has been a great mentor and preceptor for
junior or new staff. Clinically, her skills are very sound.
She is has a very professional demeanour that makes her
approachable and kind, which extends to the parents and
families that she engages with on a daily basis.
Celina continues to be a strong advocate for her nursing
colleagues voicing any clinical issues and offering
support to the nurses she works with. She also
demonstrates advocacy for the parents of the infants that
she looks after.
I have had the pleasure of working with Celina for many
years, and I am delighted that she has been recognised by
her colleagues for this Award. Well Done Celina!
Sheri Waldron
Where Are They Now Life after the NNU….
Hello my name is Abbie, I was delivered via
emergency caserean at 12:20am on the 30th June
1988 at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne.
I was 8 weeks early, weighing 795 grams and
33cm long.
I had a condition called Oesophageal Atresia & Trach
Oesophageal Fistula. This is a congenital abnormality in
which part of the oesophagus is missing and doesen't
join to the stomach, just ending in a pouch.
I was baptised at The Royal Women’s Hospital by
the Reverend before being transfered to The Royal
Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
Later that day, Drs Spencer Beasley (Surgeon) and
Peter McDougall (NNU Consultant) completed the
surgery to repair the Trach Oesophageal Fistula,
which was successful.
Two and half months later on the 12th September
1988 they completed a second operation to repair the
Oesophageal Atresia. After spending 3 months in
hospital I got to go home weighing 5 pounds.
As a consequence, I have lived a normal happy and
healthy life. As a child I loved animals, in my teenage
years I was horse mad and had a pony and attended
Pony Club in my local area.
In 2008, my husband and I married in Cairns, on the
beach at Palm Cove. Five months later we welcomed a
healthy baby boy, Michael David on the 1st of May
2009 weighing 7.7pound. He is now 13 months old,
a bubbly little chatter box.
I would like to thank Drs Spencer Beasley &
Peter McDougall and all staff in the NNU for your
expertise and wonderful care and for providing me
“the best chance – first chance” at life.
Abbie Guzzi nee Salter
Support an NNU Fundraising Event in 2010!
Will’s Memory Fundraising Dinner 17th July contact Michelle Ferguson • willsmemory@hotmail.com
Annual Celebration of Life Gala Ball 16th September contact RCH Foundation • donna.aranyi@rch.org,au
Elise Sneddon Foundation AFL Grand Final Family Fun Day 25th September contact Rob & Kerryn Sneddon • elisefoundation@optusnet.com.au
Family Bush Dance 16th October contact Rebecca Grieve • ryanandbec@hotmail.com
Opera in the Roses 26th November contact Judy Hooper • judith.hooper@gmail.com

18
WORDS OF THANKS FROM THE FAMILIES OF THE NNU
Thank you for your amazing care, friendliness and
professionalism when looking after our son. You are all
a credit to your profession – special thanks to all the
nurses in Room 2 for their love & special care.
- Dave, Kate, Indi & Mason
Thanks so much for looking after our special miracle,
Sebastian, through his first month of life. Words cannot
express how grateful we are that he was given the best
chance at life due to people like you. He continues to
improve in baby steps each and every day and he is
currently working hard on trying to roll over!
We are so proud of our brave, little, precious miracle.
Thanks for the greatest Mother’s Day gift of all…
- Olivia, Matt, Aidan & Sebastian
We thank the doctors, nurses, social workers and
pastoral carers and all involved for the enormous effort
you gave to help save our baby son Lucas. Words cannot
express how we feel about your kindness and the care
that you provided to our family. Thank you all very much
and God Bless you.
- Elizabeth, Getu, Lucas & Families
Finding words to thank you isn’t easy but perhaps these
heartfelt words will help to show your thoughtfulness will
always be remembered with more gratitude that you
could ever know. Thank you for all your help and support.
- Anish, Jessica & Jay
Thank you ever so much for your genuine and loving
care that you gave our baby Billy whilst he was in the
NNU. An extra big thank you to Hamish and Joey who
gave much needed support and understanding to
myself and Glenn.
- Brayley, Glenn, Grace & Billy
We would like to express our love and gratitude to the
amazing NNU Team who cared for Levi in the first few
weeks of his life. Special thanks to Laura, Megan &
Mary for their care and also Andrew & Michael, Levi’s
Surgeons. Lots of love –
- Tim, Edith, Josiah, Daniel, Andrew & Levi
Thank you for saving my brother Levi!
- Daniel
Thank you for looking after our brother Levi and making
him better.
- Andrew & Josiah
Thank you so much for helping our little angel to get
better. Forever in our hearts.
- Jewell & Family
Thank you for your support and guidance over the last
six months. I have learnt more than I ever expected to,
so a BIG thank you to you all. You all do such an
AMAZING job!
- Belinda
Thank you to all of the nurses, doctors and midwifes in
Room 1 of the NNU for taking care of me.
- Love Baby Lachlan, Ron & Sue
Many thanks for all the care and attention that you gave
not only to Cooper but to both his Father & I during
Cooper’s stay. You all made our time in the NNU as
stress free as possible and we appreciated it greatly.
To Cooper’s doctors, thank you both for your care and
thoroughness at diagnosing Cooper. Thank you for being
so approachable and willing to answer seemingly silly
questions on my behalf. You made a scary time for me
bearable. And to the nurses who cared for Cooper, thank
you for treating him so well and making me feel so
relaxed and included. As strange as this sounds, we will
look back on our time in the NNU at RCH fondly and
remember you all. Thank you ALL so much.
- Peter, Lorerelle & Cooper
Thank you for looking after our brother William. x
- Emma & Lily
Words can never express the gratitude, love and
appreciation we feel towards you all. Your dedication to
the job literally saved Cooper’s life and for that, we will
be eternally grateful. Your professionalism, empathy and
support assisted us to cope with the arising situation
and we could not have asked for a nicer group of
professionals to be caring for Cooper. You are ALL
wonderful individuals and do a wonderful job!
There will never be enough thanks in this world for
what you have done for us. God Bless you all.
- Cooper, Georgia, Leigh & Ella
Thank you so much for everything you did to help our
Hamish. Words cannot express our gratitude for all your
care and support.
- Love Philip, Christine, Lachlan & Hamish
To everyone that was involved in the care of our babies
Charlie & Thomas – thank you for everything that you
have done. For being so patient, approachable and ready
to answer all of our questions. It was comforting to know
that whenever we entered the NNU, we would be greeted
by smiling faces, who were genuinely concerned for us
and our babies. Peter and Rod, thank you for taking the
time to speak with us personally – we relly appreciated
your approachable, calm, forthright and confident
manner. You should be VERY proud of your Team.
Please know that your kindness and professionalism
will never be forgotten.
- Charlie’s Mum & Dad and brother Riley x
Yee-Hay!
Grab your partner by the hand…
NNU families, friends and supporters are invited to attend a Family Bush Dance
to help raise funds for the NNU at RCH, Melbourne.
When: Saturday 16th October from 6pm • Where: Yarraville Guide Hall, Clare Street, YARRAVILLE VIC
Who: Families & Friends of NNU
Come along an enjoy a great night’s entertainment and FUN for all the family!
Further information, please contact Event Organizer - Rebecca Grieve (ex NNU Mum) via ryanandbec@hotmail.com