After more than two years of constructing the new Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) piece-by-piece, the last of the nine cranes – each named after an RCH patient – is now being dismantled.

But while the cranes may no longer feature on the construction site landscape, the patients’ efforts in helping creating our new hospital will not be forgotten.

To celebrate the involvement of the children, all 10 patients and their families were invited to a thank you morning tea today onsite with the Hon Daniel Andrews, MP, Minister for Health.

Attendees took a short tour of the site, learnt how cranes were dismantled, and shared a special ‘crane’ cake.

The dismantling of the cranes marks the near-completion of the external façade of the hospital.  Workers are now continuing the internal fit-out.

Twins Kyle and Cameron Bajada were first treated at the RCH at just five days of age.  They spent five months in the Neonatal Unit being treated for short gut syndrome.  Now 10, the boys continue to be regular faces at the hospital.  They relished the opportunity to farewell their crane.

“Kyle and Cameron had the best morning. It was an honour having the boys’ names on the crane.  They were very excited to see the new hospital, we all can’t wait till it’s finished,” Kyle and Cameron’s mother Sandra said.

The last crane to be dismantled is named ‘Rosie’ after eight-year-old Rosie Morgan.  Rosie’s mum Sally said her daughter, who’s been receiving ongoing treatment for cancer, enjoyed the saying farewell to her crane.

“It was such a pleasure to come along and see how things have progressed. We have felt truly honoured to have our Rosie so connected to the building of the new hospital. It was been a little silver lining to her illness and has given her (and all of our family) a terrific boost at a challenging time,” she said.

Thank you to all ten patients who lent their names to our cranes: Kyle, Cameron, Alexander, George, Matthew, Jordyn, Tyler, Rosie, Tammy and Moutaz.