We are blown away and humbled to announce that the Good Friday Appeal once again raised an incredible amount of money for The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) with the final tally standing at $17,122,879!

Over the past 90 years, the Victorian and Australian community has helped raise more than $399 million to help sick kids continue to receive world-class care.

The final tally was announced last night, following a full day of activity at the RCH, virtual and physical tin shakes, and the generous support of the Victorian Government who pledged $2.5 million to the Appeal.

RCH CEO John Stanway said that despite how hard the last two years have been for our community that they still rallied around the RCH.

“We know that it’s been a very tough year for all Victorians last year and going into this year so we do thank you for digging deep to help the RCH. It’s with your support that we can deliver the great care for children and young people.

“I really want to thank you on behalf of all of the staff at the RCH, and all of our patients and families who we care for on an ongoing basis.”

Below are some of the ways funds from this year’s Appeal will support us to deliver great care at the RCH.

• A new Virtual Care program. This new program will allow families from right across Victoria to access care closer to home. The RCH will introduce new and remote ways of caring for sick kids through a range of technological initiatives connecting patients at home to their specialists at the RCH.
• We will soon be home to a new Nanostring analyser for genomic testing of tumour samples. This state of the art equipment will provide more accurate and timely testing of tumour types for children with cancer, in just one test, meaning patients will receive more precise and targeted treatments sooner.
• Donations will also support our teams to continue to receive the latest education and training to ensure they remain at the forefront of paediatric healthcare
• More than 25 different types of equipment will be acquired, including state of the art operating tables for trauma surgery, bedside monitors for critically ill children in the Intensive Care Unit and a new suite of defibrillators to be used across the hospital.

The Appeal also supports many ongoing services at the RCH including our apheresis service, the Wadja Health Clinic and the Nutrition Services Team.