Media Release

 

December 5, 2011

 

Babies benefit from Hospital Appeal

 

Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital will be awarded a donation of $20,000 on Tuesday thanks to the continued support of the local community and Woolworths staff through the Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Hospital Appeal.

The funds from the 2011 campaign will allow the maternity ward to purchase a number of Biliblankets. A Biliblanket is a phototherapy device used to treat hyperbulirubinemia, referring to an increase in the amount of bilirubin in the blood. It is characterised by jaundice, a yellowish discoloration of the skin.   

General Manager of Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital Brad Hansen said the Hospital was extremely grateful to Woolworths, their staff and the community for their ongoing support and is looking forward to purchasing the new Biliblankets.

“The Biliblanket is an important device for the hospital and parents, the benefits of this device are it provides the necessary treatment for hyperbulirubinemia while still allowing a parent to hold the child during therapy,” Mr Hansen said.

“The local Woolworths stores and the local community have thrown their support behind this year’s Appeal; the result is a testament to our partnership and the passion our local community has to help sick and injured children.”

Giving Australians the opportunity to help make a difference and raise money for children’s hospitals in their communities, this year’s Appeal ran from 24 August to 28 October and Woolworths supermarkets around the country hosted local fundraising activities such as sausage sizzles and lamington drives.

Woolworths Store Manager, Justin Arnott, said; “We would like to thank all our generous customers and dedicated staff that helped raise this extraordinary amount. Woolworths is proud to continue to support the Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital and help local families and kids.”

Money raised for Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital in the 2010 Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Hospital Appeal was used to fund additional monitors for the paediatrics unit for the increasing number of children with bronchiolitis and a second neonatal resuscitation trolley for labour ward.

The Woolworths Fresh Food Kid Hospital Appeal has been an annual event for more than 20 years, raising more than $60 million for medical equipment, facilities and research to help Australian children and has been supporting the Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital for 16 years and has raised over $238,000.

 

Media Opportunity

A presentation and thank you will be held at Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital

Date:            6 December 2011
Time:           3pm
What:           Senior staff from Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital and Woolworths Area Manager plus local Woolworths staff will celebrate the success of the 2011 Appeal
Where:        Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital

 

Media inquiries:

HNE:              Lucas Coleman - 02 49213844, 0407895101 (ref HNE-2669)
Woolworths:  Alison Minassian - 0414 573 845