Revisiting the special moments over the past 20 years!
We’re celebrating 20 years next Monday, May 30 and we can’t believe how quickly those years have gone.
Every day this week, we will be digging through the archives to bring you photos and memories of some special moments in our 20 year history!
We’ve decided to start our trip down memory lane all the way back in 1997 with our very first project.
It has always been a priority for us to do what we can to help children and families feel as comfortable and supported as possible during of their illness/time spent at Adelaide’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH).
Our first major project, to support children surviving cancer, was the McGuinness McDermott Foundation Children’s Clinic. Launching on June 3 1997, this clinic was a $250K refurbishment of the old Ronald McDonald clinic.
Having launched as the McGuinness McDermott Foundation in 1996 just a year prior, we were lucky enough to have the support of Channel 7, who produced an hour-long documentary as a ‘call to arms’ to help with our fundraising.
The support from the public and our sponsors was phenomenal, and less than a year later, we funded the $350,000 redevelopment of the Brookman Ward at the WCH.
Our next major project was to the fund the hospital’s first MRI machine, but with a bit of a twist…
Having an MRI scan can be very daunting for a child, so we decided to have a bit of fun and model our MRI Machine after a big yellow submarine, as a way of easing the stress involved in this particular procedure for children.
“We all live in a yellow submarine!”
LEFT: Our first MRI Machine opened in 2003.
RIGHT: Our second MRI Machine with Ambient lighting package was funded in 2011.
This $1.95 million project was the first of two MRI machines we have funded in our 20 years, with the second machine including an ambient lighting package in September 2011.
Between funding our two MRI Machines, we also decided that we wanted to provide a fun, open space for families and children visiting the WCH. This was how our $1.57 million Playdeck and Cafe refurbishment was born, which officially opened in 2006.
The $1.57 million Playdeck Cafe refurbishment
Less than a year after our second MRI, we opened a $2 Million Centre for Haematology and Oncology named The Michael Rice Centre.
The Michael Rice Centre for Haematology and Oncology officially launched in 2012.
And now, we’re just a few months from launching our next major project, the $2 million Centre for Robotics and Innovation, with our $2 million Research Program to follow!
For all of our staff here, some new and some who have been here for a significant part of the journey, looking back on our major projects is an incredibly humbling experience.
At Little Heroes Foundation, helping children and their families as they face the challenges of living with a serious illness is something we are really passionate about. Our vision is to ensure that every seriously ill child and their family has access to the very best care regardless of the rarity of their diagnosis, financial circumstances or where they live.
However, we could not have done this alone. Check back later this week, as we offer our thanks to those who have supported us over the past 20 years, as well as revisit some special moments.
For more information about the projects we have funded, click here.