Woolworths launched its Easter Appeal on Wednesday 22 March, with supermarkets across Victoria supporting The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. For the next three weeks, customers are able to make a donation and help provide supportive spaces for kids and their families at the hospital.
Running in-store from March 22 to April 11, 2023, customers at Woolworths Belgrave, Boronia Junction, Ferntree Gully and Mountain Gate and Monbulk can support The Royal Children’s Hospital by simply adding a $2 Easter egg-shaped token to their shop or making a Round Up donation on self service check-outs. Customers shopping online can add a $2 Variety donation to their online basket.
Woolworths customers have helped raise $26 million since 1987 for The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal through ongoing appeals. Funds donated play a vital role in helping provide the best possible care for sick kids, like two year old Arlo.
Arlo has an extremely rare condition called hypoplastic right heart syndrome together with five other heart defects and was diagnosed at 23-weeks gestation in a routine ultrasound scan. With that, Arlo’s journey at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) started two weeks later.
Following Arlo’s birth, parents Bronte and Romi were advised he would have to be admitted and at just six days old, Arlo was taken to the dedicated cardiac ward and placed on oxygen and a nasal gastric tube. Four days later, Arlo was rushed away into his first emergency surgery.
At four-months-old, Arlo was discharged following his open-heart surgery and a long stint in hospital. But unfortunately, this didn’t last long and three days later he was rushed back to hospital. Arlo was admitted to the RCH’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. He had his second major surgery and while it was deemed successful, Arlo suffered major complications which led to another four-month admission. For Bronte and Romi, this was one of the scariest hospital admissions to date.
Bronte said, “We are eternally grateful for the countless times the RCH has saved our Arlo. The nurses were our daily interaction, our friends, our child’s caregiver, when I was tired they did the night feeds and nappy changes, even when they were busy, they always helped.”
Woolworths Operations Manager, Leea Johnston said: “Over the past 36 years, the Woolworths and Royal Children’s Hospital partnership has helped make children more comfortable by promoting children’s understanding of hospital and healthcare experiences. Together we have empowered children and helped them manage anxiety and minimise distress around their experiences in hospital. It’s a great example of how a little can go a long way and together we continue to make a difference in children’s and families’ lives across Victoria.”
“Our customers continue to exceed expectations in their generous and steadfast support of organisations like The Royal Children’s Hospital. We’d like to thank all of our customers who have donated to our Easter Appeal over the years, as their generous contribution is a great example of how our community comes together to support those in need”
Thanks to the support of the Good Friday Appeal and Woolworths customer donations, patients and families at The Royal Children’s Hospital will help expand a full time educational and therapeutic Garden Program, offering a supportive and interactive space for all.
Beth Dun, Manager, Child Life Therapy at The Royal Children’s Hospital said: “The Garden Program will be incredibly beneficial for patients at The Royal Children’s Hospital. In addition to the enjoyment of being outside in a supportive and welcoming space, children and young people will be encouraged to take part in activities designed to distract, decrease stress and improve recovery.”
