Beanies for babies – by Tess
New babies born at St John of God Geelong Hospital have been gifted some beautiful, colourful, hand-knitted beanies – thanks to a very kind community member. Tess McKay, from Corio in Victoria, turned to knitting when she found herself with some extra time on her hands last year.
“I was unwell last year and unable to work, spending a lot of time stuck at home on couch – I felt like I wanted to contribute in some way. I thought if I don’t do something, I’ll be so bored,” Tess said.
Tess found herself knitting tiny baby beanies and decided to donate them to families in St John of God Geelong Hospital’s Special Care Nursery after a conversation with a caregiver.
“It’s just good to know something that helped me so much will help other people too. I’m not a mum myself (I have my dog) but I know that little newborns - even when not premature or sick - are so tiny and fragile. If I can contribute in any way, then why not?” Tess said.
“The beanies are made with love and care – I’m not the best knitter, but I hope they’re just a little something to brighten someone’s day and bring comfort.”
St John of God Foundation caregiver Rachel Bruechle was particularly moved by Tess’s kindness.
“I had the privilege of speaking to Tess when she first got in contact about her knitting, and then when I saw the photos of the hospital caregivers holding the beanies… I realised how special a gift this truly was. What a wonderful person she is to be thinking of others and making these beautiful gifts for families in the region.”
How Eleanor rallied her community for a cause
When Eleanor Roderick commenced treatment for chronic lymphatic leukaemia at St John of God Murdoch Hospital Cancer Centre in July 2022, she was terrified of what lay ahead. During her treatment, a journey that continued until the end of August 2023, Eleanor was uplifted by the compassion, respect and support of St John of God Murdoch Hospital Cancer Centre caregivers – so much so, she now calls them her ‘angels who illuminated the light of hope’.
“The support provided to me by the St John of God Murdoch Hospital Cancer Centre staff, who bring their hearts and souls to work each day, resonates deep in my heart. They unconditionally accompanied me on my journey, creating a safe space for me to find inner strength, hope and courage,” Eleanor said.
Upon completing treatment, Eleanor decided she wanted to show her gratitude. So she reached out to her community – friends, family and colleagues, locally in Perth and overseas – and asked them to donate in honour of the caregivers she had come to know so well. Eleanor’s efforts, and the kindness of her community, raised over $2,587 in total, which will go towards supporting caregivers to continue to make a difference to the lives of people diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.
Vroom vroom!
Thanks to a very generous donor, St John of God Geelong Hospital has recently received a very snazzy remote control car for young patients – it even has custom ‘SJG’ number plates!
For many children, undergoing surgery can be a very scary and distressing experience. One creative way that hospitals can help kids to feel more calm and comfortable is by allowing them to ‘drive’ themselves into surgery - like little Freddie, pictured here taking the car for its very first test drive.
This new car will help to bring smiles to our littlest patients and ease their anxiety while in hospital.
Running for a Reason!
The 2024 ‘HBF Run for a Reason’ event brought together 422 of our dedicated caregivers, a new record for St John of God Health Care.
Many caregivers and members of our community also chose St John of God Foundation as their charity of choice this year, and together raised over $1,400 for community mental health services in WA – thank you to all caregivers who took part in this iconic event!
Young entrepreneurs choose to give back
Year 6 Students at St Joseph’s School in Moora, WA recently held their Market Day, where students were challenged to create a small business that sold a food product and made a profit.
Students had to research what consumers wanted and make the item that most students voted for.
Karu Van Wyk, Tenjah Narrier, Madyx Wilkie and Genevieve Smith created a successful small business, ‘Pizza Peeps’, which was very popular with their peers! (Editor’s note: Excellent alliteration there!) With the profits from their pizza business, they decided to make a donation to St John of God Foundation.
“We chose you as our charity to donate to because you guys have created an amazing health care and education service. We hope that this donation will keep your services running for a long time.
We are from a Catholic primary school, and we chose your Catholic foundation because it was our favourite and you stand for everything we learn about at our school,” they said.
A big Foundation thank you to Karu, Tenjah, Madyx and Genevieve (a.k.a. Pizza Peeps) for their amazing efforts and generosity!
