It’s always a pleasure to get out and about to hospitals and health services to see firsthand the impact that the vital and often lifesaving equipment donated by you, our generous supporters, is making. Recently, I was lucky enough to be in Victoria, visiting University Hospital Geelong, Mercy Hospital for Women in Heidelberg, and Monash Children’s Hospital in Clayton.

Every visit leaves me with a renewed sense of admiration for the extraordinary care and compassion shown by our nurses and doctors, and for the families who show such strength through the most challenging of times.

Walking into any Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), or Special Care Nursery (SCN) is always a privilege, and it’s something you never truly get used to. Seeing those tiny premature babies up close, their delicate, translucent skin, surrounded by softly beeping monitors, is both confronting and deeply moving. You can’t help but feel it in your heart.

Then you look around and see the faces of parents and loved ones at the bedside - their expressions a mix of hope, fear, exhaustion, and love. It’s in those moments that the compassion and quiet choreography of our doctors and nurses becomes so powerful. The way they move gently from one cot to the next, answering questions, reassuring nervous parents, and offering comfort when it’s needed most,  it’s almost like a dance. Their grace, empathy, and professionalism are awe-inspiring.

Each hospital I visited serves far more than its local community, and with babies now being born as early as 22 weeks, every single piece of equipment plays a vital role. These machines help recreate, as best as possible, what life would be like for a baby in utero, giving them the best chance to grow strong and thrive. When you think about how much development happens in those final weeks before birth, it’s extraordinary to see the science and care that goes into replicating that environment.

At University Hospital Geelong, I joined Pike Peters, Marketing Manager of Audi Geelong, to see the difference that two recently donated pieces of equipment, the Rad 7 Pulse Co-Oximeter with Neonatal Sensor and the Connex Vital Signs Monitor, both funded by the Audi Foundation, are making. These machines help clinicians spot early signs of illness or distress, giving families peace of mind knowing their precious babies are being monitored with hospital-grade precision.

At Mercy Hospital for Women, I was joined by long-time Humpty supporters as we toured the NICU and SCN. Over the years, these incredible supporters have purchased 14 pieces of equipment, supporting 14 hospitals and health services across five different states. Throughout the visit, staff thanked our supporters for their generosity, and I could see how overwhelmed they were by the realisation of just how many families they’ve helped. The Babylon VN 800 Advanced Neonatal Ventilator, one of the machines in constant use that day, perfectly demonstrated the importance of their support. As the donor reflected afterwards, 

“It’s a very different experience from reading about a piece of equipment in the Good Egg Magazine or at an event, compared to seeing it in action. It leaves you speechless and really drives home how important each piece is.”

At Monash Children’s Hospital, which cares for more than 100,000 children every year, we were able to visit several wards and meet many of the incredible staff and patients. In the NICU, I met a young mum whose little boy is benefiting from a Symphony Breast Pump, one of the many donated by two different Humpty supporters. She spoke about how grateful she is to be able to provide nutrient-rich breast milk for her baby, knowing it’s helping him grow stronger every day.

In the Children’s Cancer Centre, I saw firsthand how even simple pieces of equipment can make a huge difference. The Chester Chest IV Arm Trainer, donated by yet another incredible Humpty supporter, allows nurses to practise procedures on a lifelike torso so that when they’re treating children, every action feels second nature. Watching the team use it made me realise how much these small innovations improve both confidence and care.

Then, in the Aviary Ward, which provides Adolescent Medicine, Paediatric Rehabilitation and Neurology services, I met Emma, the incredible Nursing Manager leading the team there. The two most recent Connex Vital Signs Monitors, donated by Data Processors and an individual donor, have been invaluable to her staff, giving them mobility and flexibility in their work and helping to make clinical care feel less overwhelming for young patients. I also had a great chat with one of the patients, and his dad. Both couldn’t stop praising the care they’ve received, and I quickly discovered the patient I was speaking to is a massive sports fan, which made for a very animated conversation!

As one Nursing Unit Manager at Mercy Hospital, Kirsty, explained to me, 

“The culture of a hospital plays such a vital role in the big picture. When the team is under pressure, that’s when real teamwork and respect for each other’s roles shine through. Everyone just gets on with what needs to be done, because at the heart of it all are those tiny, vulnerable babies and their families.”

That really stayed with me. So did the conversations I had with doctors and nurses about the equipment they’re still hoping for. Whether it’s a big piece or a small one, every request reflects a real, urgent need. And with medical equipment having relatively short lifespans, hospitals are often forced to keep older machines in service far longer than ideal, which adds even more strain to already stretched health budgets.

Since 2009, when Humpty and our big-hearted donors first began supporting Victorian hospitals, we’ve donated 576 pieces of equipment to 58 hospitals and health services across the state, 70% of them in regional areas. That’s an incredible achievement, but there’s still more to do. Right now, we have 50 pieces of equipment on our Victorian Wish List for 19 hospitals and health services across the state. Each one of those pieces will be gratefully received and put straight to work to improve health outcomes for sick babies and children.

It’s wonderful to see the difference Humpty-donated equipment makes, not only for the children and families who rely on it, but also for the morale of our healthcare workers. Every visit leaves me in awe of their passion, professionalism, and care. It’s a privilege to witness their dedication firsthand, and to know that, together with your support, we are helping them provide the very best care possible.

There’s still so much more to be done, but I know that together we’ll continue to make a difference, one hospital, one piece of equipment, and one little life at a time.