Tune in to TV to dial up support

THIS year’s Channel Nine Telethon organisers hope to dial up $11 million of support for our sick kids.

The star-studded annual event will be broadcast across Queensland and Northern NSW on Saturday. It raises money for the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The foundation provides vital support for young patients attending Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, 60 per cent of whom come from regional Queensland and Northern NSW.

The telethon has raised about $32 million since 2014. That money has been invested in life-saving medical research, vital pediatric equipment and for “comfort and entertainment” services for ill children and their families.

The foundation has committed $5 million to fund research into priority health areas including cystic fibrosis, childhood nutrition and brain cancer.

“The survival rates for brain cancer have not improved during the past 30 years and only 20 per cent of children with the disease will survive,” foundation CEO Rosie Simpson said.

“And if they do survive, they face really chronic health issues throughout their lives.”

The foundation offers a significant bright spot in the lives of children who stay at Lady Cilento. It offers the in-house Juiced TV where kids get to star in their own television show.

It also provides the fun Clown Doctors, volunteers who entertain children with books, movies and games so parents can take a break, the Cuddle Carers program for babies, music therapy, pet therapy, special events and hospital visits by famous people.

The telethon starts at 7pm on Saturday and there will be a special documentary on the Lady Cilento and its patients from 5pm.