By Johanna Griggs AM

While the large majority of Australians live in big cities, there are many who choose to live outside the hustle and bustle in regional and rural towns.

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of appeal. You spend less time in mind-numbing traffic, you know people on a first name basis, and there is a sense of community that still feels very real. Some argue there’s even a better work-life balance, with more time spent doing the things you love, surrounded by the people you care about most. As Patron of Humpty, I hear this type of description from so many families on my travels. It’s honestly infectious.

I think the only time that idyllic framing of family life surrounded by nature is turned on its head is when something unforeseen happens to either an expectant mum, or her unborn baby that requires specialist care. That is when the tyranny of distance can change everything in an instant. It can separate families for enormous periods of time, often leaving them far from home without their usual support networks or family close by. Sadly, it’s a story I’m very familiar with.

Whether I’m in the NT, visiting hospitals on the outskirts of Melbourne, or travelling through the Central West of NSW, it’s incredible how many common experiences are shared by families from all walks of life. When a mother notices something isn’t quite right and she’s several hours away from a hospital with the right equipment to help her, I can’t begin to imagine the fear and anxiety she must feel for her unborn baby. A few weeks ago I was in Barcaldine in Central West Queensland, about an hour east of Longreach and almost a 12-hour drive from Brisbane, to meet Paris Cox, her husband Conner and their three girls, our gorgeous cover family.

She’d had two uncomplicated pregnancies, but her third was very different.

Johanna with Paris, Story, Dixie and Silver Cox

Just shy of 15 weeks, she experienced a large haemorrhage and was told it was most likely a miscarriage. Scared out of her mind, she drove to Longreach for further scans, where it was discovered she had a large haematoma on the outside of her placenta. In that moment, her pregnancy became a constant cycle of watching, waiting, and worrying.

At 22 weeks she had another haemorrhage and was rushed to Longreach.This pattern continued every few weeks, each time preparing for the worst. At 28 weeks, after a day of cramping, her waters broke at home while she was caring for her two daughters. With her husband Conner working remotely and severe flooding delaying retrieval, she faced a 10-hour wait before she could be transferred to Brisbane, leaving behind everything familiar.

At 29 weeks and three days, little Story was born weighing just 1,142 grams.

By then, Conner, Silver, and Dixie had arrived, and the family split their time between Story’s bedside in the NICU and accommodation at Ronald McDonald House.Paris describes that period as a blur.After 60 days and several setbacks, they were finally able to take Story home. But leaving the hospital, and the support and equipment that had been there when they needed it most, brought a new kind of anxiety. For many families, that transition is just the next adjustment, not the end of the journey.

It was so wonderful to see how far Story and Paris have come since that frightening time.Wanting to give back and help other families, Paris donates proceeds from sales of baby and kids’ clothing through her brand, Silver Designs Co, to support Humpty’s work.

More recently, at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital in St Albans, I heard a similar story from Chloe and Lewis, who live in Barooga on the NSW-Victoria border.They had been out fishing with friends when Chloe went into labour.She was transferred to Sunshine, where their son Archer was born at 31 weeks, weighing 1,460 grams.

Chloe & baby Archer Anthony at Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital 

Like so many others, they experienced multiple health scares along the way. Chloe shared that what she missed most was having a normal newborn experience with her mum. Instead, those early months were spent navigating hospital life. Lewis spoke about how hard it was leaving Chloe in hospital each time he had to return to work.

Stories like these are why so many of our donors choose to support hospitals in regional and remote areas. Last year, two-thirds of the hospitals supported by the Humpty Dumpty Foundation were in these communities across Australia. It’s a powerful reminder of why this work matters. We strongly believe that you should be able to get the healthcare you need and deserve no matter where you live. Our ultimate goal is that no one is left behind.