CHARITIES

Starlight Children's Foundation

Since 1988 Starlight has been brightening the lives of seriously ill children and their families. Through a range of innovative programs, Starlight aims to restore some of the fun, laughter and joy that serious illness takes away.

Starlight currently reaches one in three of the 600,000 children hospitalised annually in Australia - we'd like to help them reach "three out of three"

Starlight provides programs integral to the total care of seriously ill children, while health professionals focus on treating the illness, Starlight is there to lift the spirits of the child, giving them the opportunity to laugh, play and be a child again. Starlight programs include: Starlight Express Rooms, Starlight Fun Centres, Starlight Wish Granting, Starlight Express Vans, Starlight Escapes, Starlight "On Demand"

Funds raised from 2012 Victorian Challenge will enable Starlight to run the Starlight Express Room and the Starlight Captain's Ward Visitation Program at the Monash Children's Hospital for 12 months.

Funds raised from 2012 Queensland Challenge will help Starlight to run the Starlight Express Room at the Mater Childrens Hospital for 12 months.

Eastern Health

Eastern Health provides a comprehensive range of health care services and support to over 700,000 people in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Each year Eastern Health provides emergency treatment to over 33,000 children and more than 4500 babies are born at the Box Hill, Maroondah and Angliss hospitals. Eastern Health has identified a standardisation of emergency resuscitation procedures and equipment for babies and children across all hospital sites as a critical component of their service provision. In response to this, Eastern Health have set up a project called BREATHE.

Babies who stop breathing deteriorate very quickly and rapid intervention is critical. Babies and infants are difficult to resuscitate and there are significant risks. BREATHE is a counter measure to minimise risk for babies and children during emergency resuscitation, which could improve survival rates and reduce the risk of brain damage in emergency situations.

Chain Reaction 2012 will fund the entire BREATHE project. This will provide babies and children with the highest level of life saving emergency resuscitation equipment at the Box Hill, Maroondah and Angliss hospitals.

Victor Chang Research Institute

The Victor Chang Research Institute was established in 1994 and now employs more than 130 full-time scientific staff who conduct research into the prevention of heart disease.

Heart defects are the most common form of birth defect. There are different types of defects and the more severe require repeated surgery on tiny babies. Due to research and the ever-improving cardiac care these babies receive their survival to adulthood has increased to 85%.

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the most common forms of birth defect in newborn babies with the more severe cases requiring repeated surgery. The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute has established a multi-disciplinary research program into CHD and conducts world-leading research into the role genes play in this disease.

Funds raised from Chain Reaction 2012 will used by the Victor Chang Research Institute to purchase a $700,000 microscope that will be used by researchers to help them better understand the role that mutation of different genes play in heart development in newborn babies.

Brisbane Royal Children's Hospital

Each year, the Royal Children's Hospital cares for more than 30,000 children from all over Queensland, northern New South Wales and beyond. Through the support of the community, the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation works wonders for sick kids by investing in groundbreaking research leading to faster diagnoses, better treatments and ultimately cures.

Our team of 500 friendly volunteers help deliver a patient care program which provides practical support to staff, sick kids and their families. Volunteers provide friendly information services, time-out for parents through playing with kids on the wards, and assist in clinical areas including operating theatres.

Funds raised from Chain Reaction 2012 will be used to purchase an Endobroncial Ultrasound Machine which will be used for the diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of children with severe respiratory diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis and pneumonia.

Before the existence of an Endobroncial Ultrasound Machine doctors were usually required to perform invasive surgery to see inside a child's chest leaving significant scar tissue. With an Endobroncial Ultrasound Machine doctors will be able to perform a more accurate and quicker diagnosis without the need for invasive surgery resulting in less hospital time and a quicker recovery for the child.