Covid-19 is unlike anything any of us have experienced and has profoundly impacted the way we work and live.
Unfortunately, even in a pandemic, kids will still get sick, and babies will still be born too early or with a range of conditions that need medical treatment.
How we manage those children has changed somewhat. Travel restrictions have caused our rural and regional hospitals and emergency departments to depend on the right medical equipment more than ever before. The right equipment is required to assess and treat presentations that are sometimes incredibly challenging to ensure our little patients get the best care possible.
Clinical Nurse Consultant Helen Stevens with baby Heather
You can witness Humpty’s generosity in paediatric wards and emergency departments right across the country. Those little stickers with the Humpty logo signal the extraordinary reach of Humpty and the tangible benefits they provide to clinicians and their tiny patients.
I am very proud to work as a clinical nurse consultant in paediatrics, and also to be able to assist Humpty with its vital work. It is a privilege and a responsibility that I take very seriously, having seen the benefits firsthand.
I live and work in a rural area, where we often have to make do until retrieval services can be activated. Retrieval can take up to eight hours, so we totally rely on our monitors to watch vital signs closely, intraosseous access devices to deliver lifesaving fluids and drugs, vein illuminators to help get drips in, or neopuffs and ventilators for worst case scenarios where our tiny patients need life support.
Our access to this equipment is literally the difference between life and death.
Sadly, we know that health outcomes often get determined by geography; that rural and regional patients have poorer outcomes because of distance to tertiary services. Humpty helps to bridge the gap by genuinely enhancing the ability of rural and regional hospitals to provide care as close to home as possible. This is our aim for all children and their families.
Donating a piece of equipment from the Humpty Wish List is special, and here’s why: Unlike the formal procurement process that happens in large organisations like hospitals, equipment donated from Humpty’s Wish List is purchased straight away and delivered directly to the coalface, where it can be used immediately to help children in need.
If you are considering donating, I assure you your gift is invaluable, no matter the price tag. You will give a child, or probably many children, a better chance at recovery than they would have had.
The hospital or medical team will be thankful they can do their job with less stress, and the parents who notice that little Humpty sticker will give thanks to those who gave so generously.
From all of us out here on the frontline, thank you.
By Helen Stevens
Clinical Nurse Consultant, Hunter New England Health
You can view Humpty’s Wish List here
Humpty's Wish List