Three-year-old Isla Hallam was the star of the show this morning as she helped launch the 2013 Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Good Friday Appeal.
Isla has spent much of her young life isolated from the outside world to protect her vulnerable immune system.
Now in remission, Isla’s fragile smile and golden locks grace the 2013 Good Friday Appeal poster to encourage all Victorians to dig deep and donate to the 29 March Appeal.
Today Isla unveiled the 2013 poster with the help of some of the many ‘tradies’ who have given their time and skills to help build this year’s charity auction house, donated by Henley Properties and their land partner, Villawood. Some 6000 Isla posters have been distributed across Victoria and southern New South Wales.
This year, Henley is proudly celebrating its 20th year of involvement with the Good Friday Appeal, in which they have auctioned 33 homes and donated over $10.8 million towards the RCH.
Little Isla was diagnosed at 17 months of age with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, just two days before Christmas in 2010, after months of lethargy and high temperatures. The fast growing disease of the white blood cells is the most common type of childhood cancer, with about 50 children treated at the RCH each year.
“Chemo can make their bones sore and muscles weak, and it took her a long time to get back on to her feet and even walk with a support,” said mum Anne Hallam.
“The hospital feels like home to us,” she said.
Isla still has two months left of a two-year daily oral chemotherapy regime, which is vital protection to ensure the cancer does not return.
The Hallam family members are already great supporters of the Good Friday Appeal. In 2011, father Brett was the number one individual fundraiser in the annual Run4theKids fun run, raising $16,000. Now the family has progressed to fundraising as Team Isla in the 2013 run.
“This year we hope Isla will encourage our loyal donors, corporate sponsors and volunteers to get behind the Appeal and the new “Week for the Kids,” Deborah Hallmark, the Appeal’s Executive Director said.
RCH CEO Professor Christine Kilpatrick said the Appeal makes a significant difference every year to the work performed at the hospital to benefit Victoria’s children.
“This year’s Good Friday Appeal funds will help in a myriad of ways. They will support a number of projects and initiatives right across our hospital to bolster our talent, our technology, our research and of course the care we provide our patients,” Professor Kilpatrick said.
“On behalf of our patients, their families and our staff, I sincerely thank everyone who supports our hospital through the Good Friday Appeal,” she said.
Since 1931 the Good Friday Appeal has contributed more than $245 million to the RCH. In 2012, the Appeal raised the record-breaking amount of $15.820,640 from the Victorian community and with the support of major Media Partners – The Herald and Weekly Times, Channel 7 and 3AW 693 and Magic 1278.
Click here to donate to the Good Friday Appeal.