Talia Zougaib contracted a brain infection before she was even born. Doctors suspect her mum became infected with listeria bacteria after eating watermelon. The listeria caused meningitis and from there Talia developed fluid on the brain. She’s had several operations to put shunts in to drain the fluid from her brain, and more operations to … Continued
Rupert de Wolff’s parents brought him to the hospital suspecting he just had a nasty cold. However, X-rays revealed that Rupert not only had a chest infection, but also an enlarged heart. His condition was life threatening. His parents are grateful the condition was detected and say the chest infection was a blessing in disguise. Read … Continued
Isaac Jones, the face of the 2010 Good Friday Appeal, will perform a final official duty tonight when he presents a record breaking cheque for $14,462,000 to Professor Christine Kilpatrick, CEO, The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). Donors from all round Victoria contributed this amazing amount to support clinical care, research and family services at the … Continued
Little Angus McLean was in a rush to be born. He came out six weeks early while his mum, Sarah, was in the ambulance on the Eastern Freeway. Angus was born with his bowels outside his body and was just six hours old when he had his first operation. His small intestines were too big … Continued
An Australian first, one-stop clinic for neuromuscular disorders that is dramatically reducing the number of visits families make to The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) was officially launched today. The Neuromuscular Clinic is a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic that brings together RCH specialists from neurology, respiratory, cardiology, orthopaedics, genetic counselling, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, orthotics, social work, nutrition, … Continued
Jack Pride is one happy three year old because he’s heading home for Easter. Jack was born 11 weeks premature with lungs so small that doctors only gave him a one to two percent chance of survival. While Jack has beaten the odds, he still ends up in hospital on a monthly basis. If he gets a cold … Continued
Callum and James Cooke are the only twins in Melbourne with a rare immune deficiency condition, which has left them fighting for life. They were born without the ability to produce vital antibodies to ward off disease. The pair spent much of the first few years of their lives in hospital, until their condition was … Continued
Thomas Hatton is five years old and is being treatead for an inflammation of his blood vessels, and a neck abscess. For many children at the hospital, drawing and painting not only works as a distraction, but helps develop a child’s imagination. Art can also be used an emotional outlet. Read more Photo courtesy of the Herald Sun.
Riley Ferguson is being kept alive by a cow vein and valve. Cow parts are hardly ever used in children, especially those as tiny as Riley. But his heart was so malformed Royal Children’s Hospital surgeons had to rebuild it. In an incredibly rare operation, the new parts were put into Riley’s heart to keep it … Continued
A family camping trip took a nasty turn for two-year-old Chloe Mayers. She fell on a still smouldering camp fire and received severe burns to her hands, palms and knee. Chloe has already had five operations and will need many more. Doctors at the Children’s Hospital are urging parents and children to take great care … Continued
