Royal Children’s Hospital’s lovable in-house television personality, Macadamia, celebrates his 10th birthday and 500th episode tomorrow.

Going Nuts with Macadamia is beamed round the hospital weekly on our in-house TV channel.  Hospital patients and special guests join Macadamia in the studio to talk about life in hospital and current events.  It’s a one-hour interactive program, the only one of its kind in Australia where the patients are the stars of the show.

It provides kids in hospital with a welcome break from the monotony of the ward.  It provides an effective way of educating children about hospital stays in a non-threatening way by discussing topics such as ‘how to cope with finger pricks’, what to expect when you have an x-ray’, and ‘having a plaster cast put on or taken off’.  These can be scary things for a kid in hospital.

Macamadia also goes on location, recording activities in the hospital and as well as outside.  Just because a kid is confined to a hospital bed, doesn’t mean he’ll miss out on what’s happening round town!

Macadamia is funded by the Staff of Safeway stores, through their contribution to the RCH Good Friday Appeal.

Media is invited to join us tomorrow to celebrate with Macadamia and the kids who are the stars of the show.  Macadamia is a talking celebrity and he and the children will be available for interviews.

Media enquiries call Julie Webber 9345 5522 or 0407 327 418
This event appeared in the Herald Sun and on Channel 7 news