The Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) Movement of Many is proud to have matched donations for the highest and most urgent priority needs. These vital funds support the innovative Greenlight Pilot studies and have come from individual donations, gifts in Wills, corporate donations, and people raising funds from their family, friends, and community. We are grateful for your support in helping us make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of children. 

How the success of the Greenlight Program is helping fund research

In FY22, SCHF completed the delivery of the pilot Greenlight Program. This revolutionary model of funding research drew inspiration from the movie industry and provided researchers with specialised training from the creative business education group, Compton School. Plus, they were given the chance to pitch potentially groundbreaking research projects directly to philanthropists.

“This program brought many innovative ideas to light and highlighted the depths of talent across the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. It created new opportunities for our donors to be more connected to research and gave us unique insights into the vital role of philanthropy in delivering long-term impact,” – Yvonne Stewart, Greenlight Program Director 

And the results? Incredible! Here are just a couple of the Greenlight projects that were funded in FY22.

Finding a cure for brittle bone disease

Thanks to the Greenlight Program, significant breakthroughs have been made, including a revolutionary gene therapy to cure brittle bone disease. Associate Professor Aaron Schindeler and his team created the first bone-targeted gene therapy vector that can modify cells in the skeleton, potentially leading to a lifetime cure for this devastating genetic condition. This research was made possible by a significant gift from the Teicke Family Foundation and matched funding from SCHF Greenlight.

Associate Professor Aaron Schindeler

When food is your biggest hurdle

Another life-changing project supported by the Greenlight Program is focused on addressing the challenges faced by children born with the inability to process and use fat, carbohydrates, or protein. These children require special nutrition supplements to manage their condition, and SCHF’s funding has enabled Dr Kaustuv Bhattacharya, Kiera Batten, and Associate Professor Carolyn Broderick to explore novel supplements and develop more effective treatment. Their ultimate aim is to reduce preventable hospitalisations and provide these children with a better quality of life. Arthur Laundy, Bennelong Australian Equity Partners (BAEP), and matched funding from SCHF Greenlight generously funded this critical research.

Left to right: Dr. Kaustuv Bhattacharya, Keira Batten, Associate Professor Carolyn Broderick

You made it happen! Thanks to donor’s unwavering support, SCHF was able to fund 18 Fellows who are set to become the next generation of paediatric leaders. 

What difference can a funded Fellowship make? Just ask Associate Professor Michelle Farrar, whose Neurology Fellowship at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick back in 2007-08 led her to pioneer groundbreaking diagnostic and treatment options for babies born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Today, her tireless efforts have resulted in life-changing outcomes for countless families across the country.

Associate Professor Michelle Farrar

Funding nursing positions to support patient care

Thanks to your generosity, SCHF was able to fund 16 clinical nursing positions in FY22.

These nurses are making a huge impact by supporting clinical teams across the network to provide the safest, highest-quality care to patients. One of these positions is a full-time Emergency Mental health nurse in the Emergency Department (ED) at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. At the Kids Cancer Centre (KCC), a dedicated Nurse Educator now can develop and deliver education resources to nursing staff to ensure they stay up to date with the latest knowledge and skills needed to provide the best care possible.

Creating positive experiences for children in hospital and their families remained important due to the ongoing challenges they faced due to COVID-19 and the essential measures in place to protect everyone.  

The unwavering support from your generous donations, helped SCHF fund creative, educational, and fund experiences right across the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. 

Funding new equipment to help educate, distract and entertain kids in hospital

Thanks to you, we have funded equipment, technology and materials to help distract, entertain and educate children who may need to stay in hospital or undergo painful procedures.

This includes items such as the Buzzy Bee, which is a small vibrating bee with blue ice-pack wings that uses cold and vibration to help block sharp pain and provide distraction when giving injections or other painful medical procedures.  

You’ve also helped kids play, build resilience, and enjoy being a child during their treatments, with iPads, virtual games, art materials, bravery beads and specialist toys and other items to help a child in hospital be a kid first and a patient second.