Lives saved
The thousands of dollars raised by the Humpty Dumpty Foundation to buy life saving equipment for Territory hospitals have helped countless babies survive. But there’s always more money needed
It took me completely by surprise. “I need blankets. That’s what I probably need most right now”. Her answer seemed improbably basic.
I was standing in the Children’s Wing of the Tennant Creek Hospital, a pleasantly laid-out, regional medical centre, off the main street of this sometimes wild, often worrying NT town that deals mostly with sick aboriginal babies and children.
It was winter, a couple of years ago.
I had asked the friendly but highly professional nurse in charge of paediatrics whether she had heard of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation? She ‘fessed up that she hadn’t.
When I explained Humpty has been around for more than 25 years, that we’d raised more than $70 million and — most importantly — we bought medical equipment for children’s wards in well over 350 hospitals and clinics across Australia, the nurse apologised for not knowing.
She explained that out-ofthe-way hospitals weren’t a priority when it came to equipment and that Tennant Creek made do the best it could. With the little it seemed to get in funding.
There was no criticism intended. Just a matter-of-fact commentary.
“So, what do you need to make your life easier in here,” I had asked, looking around the busy ward and expecting a long shopping list of hi-tech, expensive medical gadgetry.
“I need blankets”, she replied without even thinking. Or blinking. “It gets cold In Tennant Creek and children come in here with all kinds of problems and so often we have to stabilise them — until the Flying Doctor or an ambulance carts them off to Alice. Or maybe Darwin. We wrap them to keep them warm and off they go, blankets and all.”
I shook my head at the simplicity of this nurse’s lament.
Since then Humpty has given that tiny hospital other equipment, much more substantial than blankets.
Two years ago, we held our first Great Humpty Ball in Darwin — urged on in no small way by the honesty of the Tennant Creek experience. I was hosting the dinner, as I have done in Sydney for just about the past three decades.
Our generous supporters buy medical equipment sometimes costing a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands, for kids in hospitals scattered throughout the capital cities and the bush, saving the lives of newborns and the anguish of families they will probably never know.
They just hand over their credit cards because they care.
At our first 2017 Ball, one of the fabulous team of paediatricians at Royal Darwin Hospital, Dr Louise Woodward, came to the microphone. She took a deep breath, smiled a little sheepishly and asked if the guests could help her buy a hundred- thousand- dollar piece of lifesaving equipment that she’d been trying to acquire for the past 12 years.
$100,000 was at the other end of the medical equipment chain from blankets.
What Dr Woodward needed, she explained convincingly, was a kind of super-duper hu-
midicrib for an aeroplane to keep seriously-sick babies alive on a flight to Adelaide or Melbourne for more advanced medical surgery.
Up to now, such babies had to be stabilised for a day or more in Royal Darwin Hospital while families waited anxiously for a medevac plane to be available down south and then fly to Darwin. That could take days and sometimes that was sadly, too long a wait.
When the marvellouslygenerous Darwin business identity, “Foxy” Robinson kickstarted the fundraising, he was matched by National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre and a few others and Dr Woodward suddenly had her money.
But, as we discovered, she didn’t quite have all the highlysophisticated gear that was needed to properly fit out the super-duper humidicrib.
That would be almost another $100,000.
Well, Humpty Dumpty Foundation founder and executive chairman Paul Francis OAM and his indefatigable Humpty team hit the phones in Sydney and wrangled the missing money out of generous donors, many of whom Darwinites have responded magnificently to our promise that every cent donated ... stays in the Northern Territory had never been to Darwin. They just answered the call. Late last year, Dr. Woodward’s bold endeavour paid off.
A baby boy named Davey from Gove desperately needed to be rushed to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
The Darwin medical emergency team did what they’re so good at, the plane made the mercy dash and Davey’s little life was saved.
Davey and his grandmother will be guests of honour at this year’s Great Humpty Ball, Darwin at SkyCity Darwin on March 30.
Paul Francis and I visited the Royal Darwin Hospital about three years ago to see how the Humpty equipment we had already bought — about $150,000 worth — was helping out.
What we discovered was that, despite the dedication and talents of the medical teams, the equipment they had to work with was decades old. It was simply inadequate. So, we started to think about doing something we had never tried before — to hold a Humpty fundraising dinner outside of Sydney. When our friends at SkyCity Darwin offered to host the dinner and pay for the fantastic food and wines, we had no excuse.
So, this year is our third Great Humpty Ball in Darwin.
We have raised over $1.8 million dollars and bought medical equipment for 59 hospitals and clinics across the Territory. There is no question many children’s lives have been saved, not only baby Davey from Gove.
Darwinites have responded magnificently to our promise that every cent donated on the night stays in the Northern Territory. And it does. (We even pay for the Humpty teams’ airfares and accommodation from our Sydney operational budget.)
It’s a strange phenomenon, you know. A bit like twisting a medical kaleidoscope.
Given all the stories and the wide-ranging variety of people and places I have done over my 50-plus years as a journalist, I keep coming back to NT health problems — and most especially the shocking plight of indigenous health.
I began with a profile of the late, great eye doctor, Professor Fred Hollows, in 1981 out in Gurindji country trying to eliminate trachoma from blackfellas of all ages. I’ve done stories about everything from renal failure to disability insurance with my old friend, Dr. Gerry MacLaren who used to be in charge of rehabilitation at Alice Springs Hospital.
I once shamed the billionaire philanthropist Richard Pratt into giving the Menzies Institute $1 million to research ear disease among Aboriginal people.
I have talked at health conferences about appallingly high suicide rates, about the contagions of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, diabetes, scabies and mental illness.
But most often it’s about the shameful sickness of indigenous children.
I was appalled, most recently, to hear a story on ABC News last year about Maningrida having the worst incidence of rheumatic fever in the world. The worst in the world. It is a potential killer, a disease that is basically the result of poor hygiene, contracted through the skin.
A couple of babies in NT indigenous communities had recently died, hence the alarm raised by the ABC story.
The only good news was that nurses in isolated communities could now conduct a simple, early test for the disease, with a medical instrument about the size of a smart phone.
While I watched the television news story, I was relieved to see a Humpty Dumpty Foundation sticker on the instrument being used to save lives. It was one of several we had purchased after last year’s Great Humpty Ball.
Much as we expect them to do it, governments simply cannot afford to pay for all the hospital equipment that may be needed.
The health bill is already enormous — far and away — the biggest cost in every state and territory budget.
So, we have to help out where we can.
Otherwise, when you or someone you love is desperately in need of the best medical help our fantastic hospitals in Australia can provide, you may not be so lucky.
The Humpty Dumpty Foundation Ball will be held on March 30 at SkyCity. Single tickets cost $275 and can be booked at humpty.com.au