The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) officially thanked the 2014 Good Friday Appeal (GFA) supporters and staff on Friday for their incredible fundraising total of $16.4 million.

The 2014 GFA figure represents the latest in a string of consecutive record-breaking totals for the campaign, which has run annually since 1931 and raised a total of $274 million.

In an address to media partners, fundraising bodies and GFA staff, RCH CEO Professor Christine Kilpatrick emphasised the importance of their contributions.

‘Without the appeal’s support, without your support, we simply couldn’t do what we do,’ she said.

‘In order for us to provide great care, we need to invest in the best technology, the best research, the best support services and staff—and with the money you have raised from this year’s appeal, we’re already doing exactly that.’

Professor Kilpatrick detailed various projects enabled by the 2014 GFA funds including:

• The Melbourne Children’s Trials Centre, bringing together research minds from RCH, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and The University of Melbourne to develop and implement research trials.
• New brain monitors for use in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to monitor electrical activity in the brains of sick newborns, detecting seizures and measuring brain injuries.

• Expansion of the Telehealth project, which utilises internet teleconferencing to allows rural patients to receive care from RCH specialists without having to travel to Melbourne.

• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) centrifugal pumps that act as artificial hearts, providing continuous heart and lung support during surgery and in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

GFA Deputy Director Emoke Bakacs congratulated representatives of the two Victorian hotels that contributed most to the 2014 appeal: The Royal Exchange Hotel in Traralgaon ($55,000) and the North Eastern Hotel in Wangaratta ($53,000).

RCH Chairman the Hon Rob Knowles AO concluded the event by extolling the ‘positive and tangible impact’ supporters have on the health of RCH patients: ‘Each of you plays a unique role in supporting the appeal. When you unite, through your passion and commitment to making a difference, you become a formidable force.’