giving hope. making smil s2010–2011

imagine Just for a moment, imagine your child…

ill, unable to walk or speak, unable to play, unable to go to school – ostracised by friends, family and community.

No hope of surgery and nothing you can do about it.

Now, imagine a chance for your child to be well, able to play, to participate in the world and live a full life.

Welcome to Children First Foundation.

principal sponsors

(Formerly Blake Dawson)

Our Mission

“To transform the lives of children who need us most by giving them hope, exceptional care

and pathways to a brighter future.”

Fifteen years ago, a young Melbourne woman named Moira Kelly dreamed of a world where all children had access to excellent medical care when they needed it. Two years later, in 1999, Children First Foundation was established to help her achieve her dream. Since then the lives of more than 400 children have been transformed through our international program, ‘Miracle sMiles’. Our other main program, ‘Between the Gaps’, was started in 2008 to assist the families of disabled or chronically ill Australian children requiring financial assistance for medical or developmental aids.

Giving Hope. Making Smiles recounts Children First’s work from 2010 and 2011. It takes you on the journeys of some of the extraordinary children we have been able to help.

Our ‘Miracle sMiles’ children cannot have the complex surgery they require in their countries of birth, where the health systems are rudimentary or non-existent. As you will see, it takes many people to transform the life of one child. Children First is fortunate to have the support of exceptional surgeons, hospitals and health practitioners, all of whom provide first class medical care to these children.

We are indebted to the many individuals who assist us behind the scenes, in Australia’s foreign embassies and consulates, in the Department of Immigration, representatives of support groups here in Australia and overseas, and our amazing team of volunteers who provide a strong family-style network of support for the children in our care.

Our work is made possible by the generous financial and in-kind support of our wonderful sponsors and donors, many of whom have been part of the Children First family from its inception. Children First receives no government funding and is wholly reliant upon private, philanthropic and corporate support.

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We were delighted when the Governor of Victoria, the Hon Alex Chernov AC QC, agreed to be our Patron-in-Chief, following his predecessor, Professor David de Kretser AC. Mr Chernov joins a distinguished list of patrons who have supported us for many years.

Moira Kelly AO has been both the inspiration and driving force behind Children First. In the past two years, Moira’s primary focus has been caring for formerly conjoined twins, Trishna and Krishna. In 2012, as well as continuing as a director, Moira is undertaking a new role, joining Rebecca Gibney as a Principal Ambassador of Children First. The work of the Foundation is carried on by our dedicated staff and volunteers.

In the following pages, we invite you to share the journeys of some of our children. We hope they will inspire you and make you smile along with the children.

Geoff Hone Margaret Smith Chairman Chief Executive Officer/Director

Issa returns home to Tanzania

Samuela returns home to Fiji

Tuan (Ti), 2, arrives from Vietnam for craniofacial surgery

Sakshia, 2, arrives from Fiji for craniofacial surgery

A Message from the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

A life transformed

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Patron-in-Chief The Hon David de Kretser AC Governor of Victoria (to 7/4/2011) The Hon Alex Chernov AC QC Governor of Victoria (from 8/4/2011)

Patrons Dame Beryl Beaurepaire AC DBE Professor David de Kretser AC Mrs Jan de Kretser Mr Peter Mitchell AM Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE Lady Marigold Southey AC

Principal Ambassador Ms Rebecca Gibney

Board of Directors Mr Noel Baker Mr Peter Gilbert Mr Shane Healy Mr Geoff Hone Fr Peter Hudson Miss Moira Kelly AO Mr Roger Langley Mrs Margaret Smith Mr John Ward

Patrons and Board of Directors

Read Martinho’s inspirational story on page 8

Joyanta, Issa, Asha, Kristian, Samuela, Maria, Trishna and Krishna, were still in Australia to complete their treatment

Responding to the many financial challenges Australian families can face when caring for a sick or disabled child, Children First established the ‘Between the Gaps’ program in 2008.

The program funds the portion of costs that are not funded by existing government sources or where families do not meet the prescribed strict criteria and therefore fall ‘between the gaps’.

To be eligible for support, families must hold a health care card and funds are paid directly to the service providers to ensure the integrity of the program.

Families are referred to Children First by hospital social workers, school nurses, special schools and other support agencies. Our financial assistance goes some way to ensuring that a child in need is not a child who has to go without.

Eleven-year-old, Codie Dimech, is just one of the children helped by the ‘Between the Gaps’ program over the past two years.

Referred by her school, Ardeer Primary School, Codie has multiple disabilities and needs mobility aids to get around. Her much-needed new wheelchair would have been impossible, without the help provided by Children First.

Although the State-wide Equipment Program (SWEP) contributed $3,130 towards the total cost of $5,020 for equipment, her parents had to somehow find the rest. For many families, the cost of such aids can be an enormous drain which often means that a child will have to wait.

Fortunately, in this instance Children First funded the gap of $1,890 and Codie is the proud owner of a brand new wheelchair and walker.

In a beautiful hand-written letter to the Foundation, Codie writes, “I like to do what the other kids do. My new wheelchair and walker help me move around with them. I feel special because you are helping me – thank you.”

In the past year, the number of applications we have received for ‘Between the Gaps’ support has increased significantly as the program has become more widely known amongst social workers and other referring agencies.

The variety of requests received, reflects the struggles many families face when a child becomes chronically ill or has a profound disability.

As well as essential medical aids, Children First has provided vouchers for travel and accommodation for parents whose children need daily monitoring at hospital; orthodontic braces for a child with cerebral palsy; and a blood monitor for a child with renal failure.

Making it a little easier for these families to care for their children is what ‘Between the Gaps’ is all about – and when you see the wide smile on the face of a child like Codie, you know that the support is well worth it.

Every child’s journey with Children First is different. It begins because someone, somewhere in a developing country meets a child who touches their heart – a child who needs life-saving,

life-changing surgery.

And that person then begins their own journey to find a way to make a profound difference to the life of another human being.

In the following pages you will meet some of the children who have been helped by Children First’s ‘Miracle sMiles’ program over the past two years and the many remarkable people and organisations who partner with us to make this possible.

For all their differences in circumstance, illness or injury, each child we help knows what it’s like to be different, to be in pain and unable to live life as others can. Until now.

Panu, 20, arrives from PNG for orthopaedic surgery

Hour, 2, arrives in Chennai, India from Cambodia for heart surgery

Isoa, 16, arrives from Fiji for orthopaedic surgery

Noval, 4, arrives from Indonesia for craniofacial surgery

Jerolyn, 1, arrives from PNG for craniofacial surgery

Aldo, 5, arrives from Indonesia for orthopaedic treatment

Mark, 14, arrives from Albania for dental and maxillofacial surgery

Mimoza, 13, arrives from Albania for continuing orthopaedic surgery

Hour returns home to Cambodia

Tailua, 11, arrives from Samoa for plastic reconstructive surgery

Sakshia returns home to Fiji

Asha has her first operation

Between the Gapsmaking it a little easier

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Miracle sMiles Programbringing hope to families across the globe

Event Annual Open Day at the Children First Farm

Panu has his first surgery on one of his legs

Tuan (Ti) returns home to Vietnam

Jerolyn has her first operation

Noval returns home to Indonesia

Aldo returns home to Indonesia

Jerolyn has her second operation

Akhtar, 14, arrives from Bangladesh for surgery

Maria’s School Formal

Panuworking together enriches a life

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Miracle sMiles

Although Papua New Guinea is only a 90 minute plane ride away from Australia, it is a world away when it comes to the medical care available to treat conditions that would be detected easily

and treated in the earlier years of an Australian child’s life.

Panu Suga knows this only too well. Suffering from one of the most severe cases of Blount’s disease orthopaedic surgeon John Griffiths had ever seen, 19-year-old Panu could barely walk, such was the severity of his bowed legs.

“Whilst Blount’s disease, a progressive growth disorder of the legs, does occur in Australia, it would usually be detected at age three or four and would be treated early with comparative ease. In developing countries like PNG though, their health care systems are focused on the acute rather than prevention,” said John.

“This means that when you go to a developing country, you’re often faced with untreated conditions that have become quite complex and occasionally daunting.”

John Griffiths began volunteering as a surgeon overseas in the late 1990s. After several years of doing this as an individual, he realised he could achieve much more if he were to work as part of a team.

“Around this time, Cabrini Hospital had begun assisting Moira Kelly with children who were victims of the Bosnian war. I recognised that together, with the sort of infrastructure that Cabrini and Children First could offer, we’d be far more effective in helping the children I’d been seeing,” he said.

“The logistics involved in bringing a child to Australia, particularly from a remote island village in PNG, are enormous. It requires a lot of expertise in dealing with the whole immigration network – just getting a child a passport can be a real challenge,” said John.

That’s why, when John discovered Panu at a medical clinic at Madang General Hospital, he approached Children First to help bring him to Australia for surgery.

“I think Children First is so impressive. From small beginnings, Moira and the Board have built a great organisation, attracting people who are so committed and diverse. For them, it’s not just a job. That really resonates with me.”

With the help of generous donors, Perpetual Trustees and the Annemarie and Arturo Gandioli Fumagalli Foundation, Panu flew to Australia with his aunt, Hilda Shong in March 2010 to undergo the first of two surgeries to straighten his legs at Cabrini Hospital.

Then over two long years, millimetre by millimetre, the cogs of a special steel frame pinned through the bones of his lower legs were turned. Panu endured often excruciating pain as the angle of his legs was slowly corrected.

Throughout this ordeal, Panu’s wide smile and fun-loving nature meant that he easily made friends with other children at the Children First Farm. He relished his role as the resident joker, as well as the chance to learn some English and acquire new skills.

“Living at the Farm was an incredible experience for Panu. While the surgery itself is life-changing, so too is experiencing life in a Western nation, meeting so many people, living with children from other countries, religions and cultures and learning new life skills. The whole experience is enriching.”

Now able to walk, kick a ball and even dance, Panu returned to his home village in April 2011. On a recent visit to PNG, John had the opportunity of seeing him in his own environment.

“It’s great to see that Panu’s made the transition back to his normal life so well. Since he’d only completed a couple of grades of primary school, he’s very keen to continue his education and has recently enrolled at school” said John.

“I hope that this will enable him to find a satisfying job. I’m pretty confident – he’s a very motivated young man.”

Bunnings staff painting the Farm

Event Hidden Valley Fun Run

Event Marian Leos’ Charity Fashion Parade

Joshua arrives from Nauru with his mother Decalina for craniofacial surgery

Isoa has his first operation

Asha has surgery

Jerolyn returns home to PNG

Trishna and Krishna’s mother Lovely arrives for a visit

Lovely returns home to Bangladesh

Isoa has surgery

The Hon David de Kretser AC, Patron-in-Chief and Mrs de Kretser visit the Farm

Event Eureka Towers Skydeck Breakfast

Tailua returns home to Samoa

Akhtar has his first operation

Asha has her second operation

Martinhoa holistic approach to care

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Craniofacial surgeon, Mark Moore, has met quite a few children like eight-year-old Martinho Ronaldo during his years of volunteering in clinics in Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor)

and neighbouring Indonesian provinces.

Martinho was born with a condition called a frontoethomoidal encephalocele, which is a herniation of brain tissue and fluid from around the brain. This condition occurs throughout South-East Asia and its cause is unknown. It results in a large protrusion through a hole in the bone of the forehead, between the eyes.

“It was clear that Martinho would be an excellent candidate for surgery with our craniofacial team here at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide. The operation he needed could not have been performed in Timor-Leste and after assessing him, I was confident that he would be able to live a normal life post-surgery,” said Mark.

Funded by the South Australian Government and Children First, Martinho and his mother, Elsa Sanchez flew to Australia in April 2011, for his surgery in May. Both mother and son stayed at the Children First Farm in Kilmore to acclimatise before journeying to Adelaide.

The Australian Craniofacial Unit in South Australia and Children First established a relationship in 2007. Since then, medical specialists, headed by Professor David David AC, and a passionate and dedicated team of volunteers have provided expertise and support to children and their parents when they are in Adelaide.

Sharon Murdock, who co-ordinates the volunteers, emphasised how important the personal approach to a child’s care is, both inside and outside the hospital.

“Elsa and Martinho came from a very small village, did not speak English and didn’t understand Western culture. It was a very

frightening and isolating experience for them to be in Adelaide,” said Sharon.

“We always try to connect the children and parents with their local community and in Martinho’s case, we were very fortunate to have the support of the local Timor-Lesteese Citizens’ Association.”

“Our volunteers meet the child at the airport, attend every medical appointment, visit them in hospital, take them on outings when they are outpatients and generally try to be like an extended family while they’re in Adelaide. It is often a very hectic time when we are looking after a family here. It’s totally full-on and is both physically and emotionally tiring, yet incredibly rewarding. You know you are doing something that truly makes a difference,” she said. In an operation lasting about three hours, Mark and his team removed the large protrusion from between Martinho’s eyes, replaced the bone and repaired the layers of skin, leaving him with a new face that would no longer provoke unkind taunts from others because he looked ‘different’.

“When we succeed with children like Martinho, it’s because we have a good team, people we can rely on to do what’s required, whether in surgery or in the important pre and post-operative care,” said Mark.

“It’s essential that ours is a holistic approach to the care of a child. We know that the volunteers and Children First will ensure that a child is being treated like a human being and that they will be supported with all the huge adjustments they experience – being away from home and going through an operation in a strange and often overwhelming environment.”

“We are in essence, one big team – and the child’s family while they’re in Australia.” Martinho returned home with his ‘new’ nose in 2011.

Modjeskachance of a bright future restored

Twenty-four-year-old Modjeska Estrada is an unlikely candidate for medical evacuation to Australia, given her age.

Yet, when she was discovered by plastic surgeon James Leong, whilst he was volunteering at an Interplast Australia clinic in The Philippines, it was clear that Modjeska required Children First’s help.

A bright young woman, Modjeska’s face was gradually being completely distorted by an ameloblastoma, a rare tumour that develops in the jaw. Although she was advised by a local physician to have the tumour removed in 2006, this was way beyond her family’s means.

The operation required would have cost in excess of 1 million pesos (approximately $23,000 AUD) in a country where the average monthly wage is approximately 10,000 pesos ($900 AUD).

Whilst Modjeska was employed in the accounting department of a large company, her employer had given her the option to leave because of the disfigurement created by the growing cystic mass on her jaw.

In the Philippines, there is little tolerance for anything that deviates from the ‘norm’ in both appearance and physical ability.

As a breadwinner of her family of nine, this would have been disastrous and was yet another blow to a young woman who had already suffered considerably. In the intervening years, the mass had enlarged significantly, weighing more than one kilogram and affecting her ability to breathe and consume food.

As the tumour grew, so too did the complexity of any surgery that would be entailed. Modjeska required the sophistication of a highly-skilled surgical team in a world-class facility.

With the generous help of Rotarian Bruce Shaw of Berwick travel agency Cruise and Travel, Modjeska and her mother, Cora, travelled to Australia for her life-changing operation in August 2011.

Twelve hours of surgery followed, where 23cm of fibula bone from Modjeska’s leg was used to reconstruct her jaw. The operation was performed at Dandenong Hospital and, under the direction of James Leong, involved four surgeons, two hospital registrars, five anaesthetists and several nurses.

“It was a complex operation where time was of the essence, given the size of the tumour and the impact it was having on Modjeska’s health. She had been suffering from chronic bleeding from the mouth due to ulceration which had also prevented her from eating properly. Without surgery she would have literally wasted away,” said James.

“Usually dental implants would have been done in a second operation, however we decided to do this at the same time as we reconstructed her jaw, meaning that we could save two to three months,” he said.

As she has slowly recovered at the Farm, Modjeska has since undergone significant dental work at the Alfred Hospital.

Meanwhile, Children First has also ensured that she has been able to continue her education through Open Universities Australia, with Foundation sponsor Jacobs Australia generously donating a laptop to assist with her studies.

What sort of future can Modjeska look forward to now? “Before her surgery, Modjeska was treated as a social outcast. Her education had been interrupted and she was facing an uncertain future. With the tumour gone and working towards a degree in accounting, she will now be able to resume the life she’s worked so hard for,” said James.Modjeska also wants to share her good fortune with others and is thinking of volunteering with Rotary in their medical missions when she returns to the Philippines.

Miracle sMiles Miracle sMiles

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Something that began as a simple school community project, collecting long-life milk for children at the Children First Farm in Kilmore, grew into a commitment to change a life.

Year 12 students from St Monica’s College, Epping, had no idea that they would be embarking on the adventure of a lifetime when they first visited Children First’s Farm in Kilmore, several years ago.

“After meeting some of the children, the students wanted to do much more than simply collect milk. We were all delighted when we found it was possible to sponsor a child by raising money for their airfare,” said Glenda Hay, Community Development Co-ordinator at St Monica’s College.

Three-year-old Paul Moimo from Papua New Guinea needed life-changing surgery to operate on his clubfoot, a condition which made walking both painful and awkward. According to orthopaedic surgeon, John Griffiths, although operating on clubfoot is routine in Australia, such orthopaedic surgery is a luxury in Papua New Guinea.

St Monica’s students pulled out all the stops to raise the $5,000 needed for Paul’s airfare, by baking, icing and selling cupcakes for the 1,800 students at both school campuses.

They then engaged the interest of the local primary school, making and selling even more cupcakes at their ‘cupcake day’. That’s a lot of cupcakes!

With the $5,000 raised, Paul flew to Australia and was operated on by John Griffiths and his orthopaedic team at Cabrini Hospital. While Paul didn’t say much, he certainly won many hearts at the Farm and at St Monica’s with his bravery, smiles and big brown eyes.

“When the students met Paul, they all wanted to take him home,” said Glenda Hay. “The personal connection we’ve had with Paul has been wonderful. While we support a lot of great causes at the school, the experience with Children First has been particularly rewarding. The students can really see that what they’ve done has changed someone’s life.”

Glenda says that the relationship with Children First will continue to grow. In fact, the current Year 12 students have already begun raising money to sponsor another child, something they are aiming to do each year. Would she encourage other schools to become involved with Children First? “Absolutely! The students really felt empowered by this experience. It showed them that while one person may not be able to do much, if we work together we can achieve a lot. Helping is not hard – you can do it.”

Emantwo unlikely allies come to a child’s aid

After months of meticulous planning, the medical evacuation of young Palestinian girl, Eman Tabaza, hung in the balance when the Cairo uprising occurred in February 2011.

As one of a group of five Palestinian children coming to Australia for medical treatment, Eman was to travel from Gaza to Cairo for her flight with Emirates Airlines, when the Rafa border crossing was closed because of security fears.

This was Eman’s second trip to Australia, having received the first of two life-changing operations to remove a bulging facial tumour in 2004. She and the other children were being escorted by Palestinian-Australian, Phillip Sacca and Lebanese-Australian Farah Mansour, both friends of the Foundation.

With the clock ticking down to departure, the group was stranded and unable to leave Gaza. The next few days were a blur of frantic phone calls and emails as the pair sought to find an alternative safe route out of Gaza and across the Palestinian border.

Children First CEO Margaret Smith vividly recalls the phone call that came at 2am one morning from Phillip.

“Phillip was in Gaza in touch with the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv, who was in turn in touch with the Israeli authorities, with everyone waiting to see what would happen. It was a very fluid situation,” she said.

Meanwhile the Australian embassies in Tel Aviv and Amman were busily negotiating with the Israeli and Jordanian authorities to waive normal exit procedures and enable the children to exit Gaza via Erez and to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge, where they could then take a flight from the capital, Amman.

With less than 24 hours before their early morning departure, Phillip was advised that the children would now require new travel documentation. There followed a flurry of more emails, phone calls and nail biting, until miraculously, all was ready for the crossing the next day.

“It was a pretty harrowing journey in small buses across the border managed by Hamas, on to the Palestinian Authority border, then the Israeli border – with the children having to get on and off each time. Phillip and Farah were then taken to Tel Aviv with the Australian Consul to get official documentation while the children went by bus direct to the Allenby Bridge to wait. Documentation eventually in hand there was a fast drive to the Allenby Bridge and although it had been officially closed for some time, the group was allowed to go through to be met by the Australian Consul to Jordan on the other side,” said Margaret.

Once in Jordan, the group travelled to Amman where Foundation sponsor Emirates Airlines reassigned the group’s seats on a new flight, after already showing enormous patience in altering flights several times in the preceding days.

Although it was a nerve-racking time for all involved, Margaret Smith has nothing but praise for the Australian consul staff, the Israeli and Jordanian authorities, and gratitude to Emirates Airlines.

“We are so grateful that, even amidst a conflict, two countries can put aside their differences and do what is best for the sake of children who need medical treatment. It just shows that, when we put children first, anything is possible,” she said.

There was a further complication in Eman’s already challenging journey. She is still waiting to have her craniofacial surgery after her surgeon, Tony Holmes, discovered that she had a large nevus on her back and defects in her spinal cord that would require surgery.

“After extensive consultation, Tony Pennington (Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Mercy) and I agreed that this should be addressed prior to undertaking the surgery on her face. It was a pretty complex operation, given the size of the nevus and Tony needed to insert tissue expanders to enable more skin to be grown to repair the wound,” said Tony Holmes.

“One of the problems we face here is our reliance on the medical reports we receive about the children from their country of origin, which are often incomplete. It’s essential that we receive accurate referrals – the worst thing would be to bring a child to Australia whom you can’t help.”

“In Eman’s case, we now have a more complete picture of her overall condition. She has recovered well from the operation on her back while at the Farm, which means we can now undertake the second stage operation to further refine her nose.”

“When I saw Eman again, I almost didn’t recognise her, she’d grown so much. She’s a real sweetie and with this final surgery, there’s no reason why she can’t have a normal life,” said Tony.

Eman is already thinking of her future and has some big plans. “I’d like to be like Moira and start a foundation to help children in China. I know I can do it if I work hard,” she says.

Isoa returns home to Fiji

Asha is fitted with her prosthetic leg

Genesys working bee at the Farm

Event Open Garden in Eltham

EventAustralian All Star Cheerleading Championships

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Paulschool children make life-changing surgery possible

Isoaa big heart heals a fractured hip

Doing a 360° spin out on a bike doesn’t usually result in surgery in a foreign country, yet for young Fijian boy Isoa Batiyaka, that’s precisely what happened.

Fracturing his left hip when he came off his bike at the age of 13, Isoa was unable to bear weight on his legs and had to be carried by his father for 12 months. He was also unable to attend school.

Isoa’s predicament came to the attention of an Australian family, the Cricks, who had been sponsoring a child in Fiji for many years. It transpired that this child, who had since grown up and had family of her own, was Isoa’s mother.

Upon learning of Isoa’s accident two years after it occurred, the Cricks flew to Fiji to assess the situation. Realising that he needed surgery that could not be performed in his home country, but unsure of how to go about organising a medical evacuation, grandson Brad Crick contacted Children First for help.

It is only because of the outstanding generosity of top-flight surgeons who give freely of their time and expertise that Children First can help children like Isoa.

One such surgeon is Professor Leo Donnan, an orthopaedic surgeon who, when asked if he can help, always says ‘yes’.

Whilst Isoa was able to walk when referred to Children First in 2010, he had a significant limp due to the 5cm shortening of his left leg. Without appropriate treatment, he was also starting to experience back pain and it was likely that he would have developed post traumatic arthritis.

“The kids we help are tough – they often have to be, and Isoa was no exception. He’s an active young man in a country where he has to be strong, so we had to find a solution that would allow him to live this sort of life,” said Leo.

“Isoa needed two procedures, including a hip fusion which is not often done, and then lengthening of his left leg. During the hip fusion, we dislocated his hip, removed the cartilage, very carefully repositioned

the hip (this is critical) then ran a plate across to his pelvis,” he said. “He’s done really well and has healed nicely.”

Having worked with Children First for about 10 years, Leo understands that he can make a big difference to the lives of the children he treats.

“I know that I can offer them the help that others can’t. We try to be very careful that the kids we help will benefit from a single and major intervention that will set them up for life. Sometimes that’s difficult, as we have to rely on incomplete information when we are assessing them for surgery,” says Leo.

“It’s also a very personal process because you get to know them pretty well. The way they change during their time here is quite profound – from being frightened and unsure to becoming confident and positive about their future.”

Leo emphasises that it’s a team approach that makes it all happen. “I’m really fortunate to have great hospitals like the Mercy, where surgical facilities and care were donated, and excellent anaesthetists like Tony Tan who always say yes too. I couldn’t do what I do without them and also, without the whole package that Children First provides. It just wouldn’t be possible,” says Leo.

Now 18 years old, Isoa went home to Fiji in March 2012, walking taller and with a lighter step. He now plans to study either journalism or law once he completes high school, and is excited about the future.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who’s helped me – Professor Donnan, the Foundation and Pat at the Farm – he really makes me laugh,” said Isoa.

Happily, the operation was successful and Akhtar has regained full use of his arm and with that, a new lease on life.

“During his time in Australia, he learned a little English and was also exposed to some of the possibilities life has to offer. He is a very decent and determined person who deserves a chance to make something of his life,” said Atom.

Since his return to Bangladesh in 2010, Atom has taken Akhtar under his wing, providing him with a job and a chance to learn new skills in the technical side of his fabric business, whilst also giving him a home.

“I’m pleased to give Akhtar this opportunity – he’s hardworking and hopefully this will make a difference to his future. It’s up to him now.”

Caught in the crossfire of an armed uprising in Dhaka in February 2009, 14-year-old Akhtar Hossain nearly died when a high powered bullet shattered his right upper arm and chest.

As the sole breadwinner for his family of eight, Akhtar had been selling tea outside the Bangladeshi Rifles Headquarters when a mutiny took place. Several civilians and 54 army officers were killed in the uprising.

While injured army officers were well looked after by their government, Akhtar received limited medical care and was left in constant pain, unable to lift his arm more than a few centimetres.

The incident was widely reported in the national newspapers and Akhtar’s plight came to the attention of Australian Bangladeshi businessman and humanitarian, Atom Rahman, and his wife Riaa, who contacted Children First. Atom is also the co-guardian of twins, Trishna and Krishna.

“When I read about Akhtar’s situation, I thought it was so unfair. Here was a young man with his life ahead of him, yet without proper treatment, his life would be over. No-one would ever employ him and he would have ended up begging on the street,” said Atom.

“In Bangladesh, it’s a case of survival of the fittest. There’s no support for people with a disability, no help if you are poor.”

With the support of Children First, Atom arranged for Akhtar to come to Australia for surgery at Cabrini Hospital under the care of orthopaedic surgeon, John Griffiths and his team. Reconstructing his right shoulder was not easy, particularly as the nerves and muscle had been wasting away for the 18 months since the injury had occurred.

“Akhtar showed great determination throughout his ordeal. Once he realised what was required of him, he was very motivated in his rehabilitation as are many of the children I see. They recognise what a wonderful opportunity both the surgery and their stay in Australia offer,” said John Griffiths.

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Akhtargunshot wound an unlikely path to a better life

Celebration of the first year of Trishna and Krishna’s separation is held at St Patrick’s Cathedral

Akhtar returns home to Bangladesh

Gerald, 8, arrives in Chennai, India, from Tanzania for heart surgery

Joshua returns home to Nauru

Event Children First Gala Ball “Under the Crimson Sun”

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Trishna and Krishna’s 4th birthday, their first since being separated

Christmas celebrations at the Farm

Cookie, 22, arrives from Pakistan for craniofacial review

Ghezel, 2, arrives in Chennai, India, from Iraq for heart surgery

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Gerald Returns home to Tanzania

Trishna and Krishnathe untold story

When you consider the odds against Trishna and Krishna surviving, let alone thriving as they are today in Melbourne, it’s pretty staggering. Yet, thanks to the intervention,

perseverance, expertise, care and love of many people, their truly amazing story has its happy ending.

Born by caesarean section to Lovely and Kartik Mollick in November 2006 in Bangladesh, Trishna and Krishna were conjoined at the head, and after some weeks at home, were becoming very ill. Placed by their parents into the care of the Sisters of Charity nuns at a children’s home in Dhaka, the girls’ future was very bleak.

However, fate intervened in the form of two young Australians, Danielle Nobel and Natalie Silcock, and Australian Bangladeshi, Atom Rahman, who had been acting as Children First’s representative in Bangladesh for some time. Through the offices of the then Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh a plan began to develop.

The Foundation has been incredibly fortunate to have relationships with passionate and like-minded people like Atom in many of the developing countries whose children need our help.

Our representatives often provide the first point of referral to the Foundation and play a critical role in arranging the myriad details for a child’s medical evacuation to Australia.

It was clear to Atom that Trishna and Krishna required overseas assessment and treatment if they were to survive. It was also obvious to him that the logistics involved in undertaking such a journey required the expertise of Children First.

After alerting us to the girls’ situation, there followed months of negotiation and planning for their medical evacuation to Australia. Under the care of Atom and Moira, who were appointed co-guardians of the twins by the Sisters of Charity, Trishna and Krishna finally arrived in Melbourne in November 2007.

To ensure that the girls would have easy access to the Royal Children’s Hospital and professional volunteer support, Moira and Maria (an assistant from Bangladesh) moved with the girls into the Foundation’s premises in North Melbourne.

In the ensuing weeks and months as they underwent gruelling tests and surgeries, Moira and the extraordinary team of volunteers cared for the girls around the clock, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Their commitment and dedication to the twins through the many long and often emotionally draining hours is truly outstanding. The vigilance required to ensure the girls maintained optimum health throughout their many ordeals was enormous and absolutely essential in preventing any life-threatening infections.

Moira, Atom and his wife, Riaa, and other volunteers lived and breathed every procedure the girls went through, providing empathy and love in bucket-loads.

When the twins were successfully separated, on 17 November after 37 long hours, none were more relieved than Moira, Atom and all of us at Children First who had shared their journey, every step of the way.

Today, Trishna is thriving after starting kinder in 2011, and whilst Krishna continues to face many challenges, she is overcoming them one-by-one.

We offer our heartfelt thanks to all the incredible people who have made their new lives possible.

For now, the girls remain in Australia on a medical visa under the auspice of Children First.

(Visit www.childrenfirstfoundation.com for a full account of their journey to separation)

While much has been written about the extraordinary journey of twins Trishna and Krishna, we share here the untold story of these two brave little girls and some of the exceptional people who helped to transform their lives.

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Suhail, 14, arrives from Palestine for further maxillofacial surgery

Belal, 20, arrives from Palestine for further surgery for burns

Abdullah, 3, arrives from Palestine for review of his orthopaedic surgery

Eman, 16, arrives from Palestine for further craniofacial surgery

Mohammed, 14, arrives from Palestine for further orthopaedic surgery

Asha returns home to Tanzania

Event Genesys Pro-cycle team in Melbourne and Genesys working bee at the farm

Event Genesys Pro-cycle team in Tasmania

Event Indian Arts Acadamy Tamil Music

Event Lucky Kids Walk

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Suhail has surgery

Nikii, 10, arrives from PNG to begin treatment

Joyanta returns home to Bangladesh

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Miracle sMiles

Ghezel returns home to Iraq

Kylie, 8, arrives from Vanuatu with her mother, Lissing, for orthopaedic surgery

Event Dimension Data hosts our Volunteer Recognition night

Cabrini staff take the children on an outing

Suhail and Belal return home to Palestine

Event McCallum Golf Day

Roberta, 12, suffers burns at her home in Fiji. Children First and ROMAC combine to help

Dr John Harvey from Westmead Hostpital flies to Fiji to assist with Roberta’s treatment

Lydia, 5, arrives in Chennai, India from Uganda for heart surgery. Sadly, Lydia later passed away after contracting an unrelated illness.

Established in 1999 as a home away from home for children preparing for and recovering from surgery, the Farm is a sanctuary, a place of rest, calm, and nurturing.

It is also a mini ‘United Nations’ – a place that embraces the diversity of the family who lives there – the cultural, ethnic, religious and gender differences of the children who are brought together because of their shared need for transformative surgery.

Under the caring, watchful and compassionate eyes of Farm managers, Pat Weldon and Justine Barlow, the children share the many tasks of running a large home, keeping their bedrooms tidy, folding clothes and washing the dishes.

For many, it’s an enormous learning curve, adjusting to the everyday things that we simply take for granted in Australia.

“Many of the children have not slept in a bed before and we often find them in the morning lying on top of their bedding on the floor. Equally, they may not have used a toothbrush, so we need to teach them how to clean their teeth. We’ve learned that we should never assume things,” says Pat.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Farm and it’s really amazing how much they give of themselves, way beyond what is asked of them.

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Panu and Nikii return home to PNG

Isaac, 4, arrives from Kenya with his mother, Caroline, for assessment

Martinho travels from Melbourne to Adelaide for craniofacial surgery

Elvin, 22, arrives from PNG with her mother, Linte, for heart surgery

Martinho, 5, arrives from Timor-Leste with his mother, Elsa, for craniofacial surgery

Abdullah returns home to Palestine. Will return to Australia when he’s older

Event La Porchetta party for children at the Farm

Cookie returns home to Pakistan

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The Farmthe heartbeat of Children First

The first time you enter the Children First Farm at Kilmore, usually through the huge, warm kitchen, two things immediately strike you – the feeling of love that permeates the atmosphere, and the happy sounds of children at play.

They take the children to their hearts – basically, you can’t do this job unless you do. And we couldn’t do what we do without the volunteers, they give so much – seven days a week.”

Consider for a moment what is required to care for one sick child, perhaps your own. As they’re preparing for a major operation, they are anxious, needing your love and emotional support.

They then require around the clock care following the surgery, possibly total bed-rest for weeks afterwards, along with nutritious food, clean clothes, entertainment, pain relief and trips for medical appointments.

Multiply that many times over, add in the fact that you may also need to accommodate and support parents or guardians who are also frightened, with little English and experiencing a degree of culture shock, and you have some idea of the enormous challenges the staff and volunteers at the Farm experience each day.

Michelle Lyons has been volunteering at the Farm for over three years, working there two nights per week and one weekend each month. With grown children of her own, Michelle really empathises with the children’s parents, many of whom are not able to accompany their children to Australia.

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Martinho returns home to Timor-Leste

Mohammed has his first operation

Visar, 11, and Ardian, 20 arrive in Chennai, India from Albania, for cardiac assessment

North Melbourne Kangaroos FC host the children at Etihad Stadium

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Kristian has maxillofacial surgery

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Thank you to our generous Farm Sponsors: • Australian Food Group • LaManna Fresh Fruit and Veg • Rotary • TSL Manchester

• Franklin Electric • Kilmore Bakery • Bunnings • St Patrick’s Primary School, Kilmore

• Assumption College • Albury teachers group • St Vincent de Paul • Billanook College

• Carey Grammar • LaManna Direct • Monivae College • St Monica’s College, Epping

At the Children First office in North Melbourne a small but dedicated administrative team ensures the business of the Foundation runs smoothly. Two of these are Marina Te Maro

and Anne Esposito, who by their own admission, wear many hats in their day to day work as case managers with Children First.

They are the people who undertake the enormous task of organising the medical evacuation of a child from overseas to Australia for transformative surgery.

“It can take several months, even years to bring out a child, depending upon the circumstances. In that time, I may have had to face many obstacles which threaten to prevent them from coming,” says Marina.

“The complexity of organising a medical evacuation is enormous,” says Marina, who also operates the Foundation’s International Medical Register.

“When they finally arrive, I feel like I’ve worked hard to make something happen, driven by the desire to see them helped. I even feel as though I know them.”

“Once we receive a referral I start working on finding a surgeon, then organising a hospital. From there, it is a matter of arranging all the documentation, including the passport, medical visa, travel and so on. It sounds a lot simpler than it is in reality,” she says.

Nurturing and maintaining good relationships with key individuals and organisations both in Australia and overseas is essential for Marina and Anne.

“My role includes establishing relationships with various organisations that may refer children who need our help. The relationships we have really make all the difference,” says Anne.

Volunteers

Behind the Scenes

As well as her work with the ‘Miracle sMiles’ program, Anne is responsible for the ‘Between the Gaps’ program and co-ordinating the many volunteers who offer their support to the Foundation.

“One thing I have learned while working here is that there are many wonderful and generous people out there,” says Anne.

Both Marina and Anne are passionate about their work and agree about the rewards it offers.

“Being able to see the children change inwardly and outwardly as they undergo surgery and live at the Farm is such a privilege. Then having the satisfaction of seeing them return home and be able to get on with their lives, makes all the hard work and effort worthwhile.”

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Children First. For many, like Gerry Lamers who is the convenor of the Labour of Love auxiliary, it’s a matter of being able to make a meaningful contribution doing

something she loves.

“We are a group of ladies who knit, crochet, sew and then sell our work in shopping centres to raise funds for Children First. There are at least 50 of us who are drawn from all over, including Tasmania,” says Gerry.

Over the years the Labour of Love auxiliary has raised thousands of dollars towards the costs of life-changing surgery for many children.

“I enjoy working with people and have made some great friends over the years with the women I work with,” she says.

Gerry is a powerhouse when it comes to organising the rosters for the shopping centres, writing her regular newsletter, fixing and mending and generally keeping everything running smoothly.

She is very straightforward about her work with the auxiliary. “In life, you want to contribute and this is something that I can do. Children First is a great charity.”

Many wonderful people give their time, energy but most of all love to make a difference to a child’s life. We thank them all.

We thank the following volunteers whose five years of generous support was acknowledged in 2010 and 2011.

• Choeden Tenzin • Merryn Maher • Selmir Gusto

• Farah Mansour • Michelle Motee • Terry Yarnall

• Fiona Langley • Rhonda Ross • Wendy Yarnall

• Jennifer Farrell • Sally Holden • Wilma Chandra

• Judy Balloch • Sara Pantaleo “If my children were going to another country to have a major operation and I couldn’t be there, I’d like them to be in a family-like environment with people who truly care. Seeing my own kids go through the trauma of surgery makes you realise how scary it can be. While we can’t replace their parents, we can try to really be there for them throughout it all,” says Michelle.

“Seeing the kids settle in, they’re unsure at first, then, as they gain confidence, you begin to see the person. It’s a great feeling when you hear the children refer to the Farm as home.”

Pat concurs, “One of the biggest challenges for us is building the trust with the children, for them to believe they can be helped and made well. So often they have been ostracised and stared at for such a long time, that it’s hard for them to imagine a different life,” he says.

When asked what the children take away from their experience at the Farm, Pat is optimistic.

“Hopefully they have learned some life-skills, an appreciation of other cultures and also the knowledge that there are many people in the world who care about and help other people, just because they can,” says Pat.

“The day a child goes home is the best and worst day of your life – the best because you know they’ll have a much brighter future, and the worst, because you have to say goodbye to someone you’ve grown to love.”

The Farm

National launch of The Priceline Sisterhood – supporting Children First

Professor David de Kretser has completed his term as Governor of Victoria and Children First Patron-in-Chief

The Hon Alex Chernov, AC QC, appointed governor of Victoria and becomes Children First Patron-in-Chief

Isaac returns home to Kenya

Elvin returns home to PNG

Eventsextraordinary events for extraordinary children

2010 and 2011 Events• Lucky Kids Walk • Annual Farm Open Days • Eureka Towers Sykdeck Breakfast • Marian Leos’

Fashion Parade • Under the Crimson Sun Gala Ball • Lunch for a Child SA • A Date at the Diner

Gala Ball • Tamil Trinity Festival • Oaks Day Lunch at Kilmore Trackside • Open Garden Event

• Hidden Valley Fun Run • Australian All Star Cheerleading Championships • La Porchetta

• Christmas Projects • Cummings Flavel McCormack Golf Days • Genesys Pro-cycle Team Events

• Blokes and Sheds Tour • Genesys Business Events • Volunteer Recognition Night • Camel Trek

From golf days to gala balls, bike rides to fun runs – fundraising events provide the opportunity to share our story with friends and supporters while adding much needed funds to the Children First coffers. Thanks so much to all who contributed to the success of these events during the past two years.

While Children First receives many offers of help, the proposition put by Russell Osborne was by far the most unusual, involving a herd of camels and a trek from

Darwin to Melbourne.

Aptly named the “Walk for the spirit of hope”, Russell and his partner Ros planned to trek with eight camels some 6,500 kilometres across the continent from north to south to raise money for the Foundation.

Preparing for this journey 11 years earlier and knowing nothing about camels, Russell captured and tamed a herd of wild camels, then convinced his partner Ros to accompany him on this wild journey through some of Australia’s most arid country. The trek left Darwin on Easter Sunday 2008.

While they experienced extreme conditions, along the way Russell and Ros also inspired many people in the towns they visited with their stories of the journey, the bush and the children they were trying to help.

Arriving in Melbourne 18 months later on 22 November 2009, Russell and Ros were met by Moira at the Royal Children’s Hospital, where she’d been at the bedside of twins Trishna and Krishna who’d been separated only a week earlier.

In a journey that had taken them through the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, they’d raised a remarkable $30,000 for the Foundation.

After a final trek to Kilmore, the camels and their companions enjoyed a well-earned rest at the Farm, much to the delight of the children who were able hear of their adventures first-hand.

Camels help children come first

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Isoa returns from Fiji for stage 2 surgery

Abbas, 15, arrives in Chennai, India from Iraq for heart surgery

Paul has surgery

Eman has her first operation

Maria has craniofacial surgery

Mohammed has a second operation

Yousif, 11 arrives from Iraq for craniofacial surgery

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Mimoza has surgery

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Micheline, 9, arrives from Vanuatu with her mother, Florina, for review of burns to her face

Modjeska, 24, arrives from The Philippines with her mother, Cora, for surgery to remove a facial tumour

Paul, 3, arrives from PNG with his aunt, Regina, for orthopaedic surgery

Visar and Ardian return home to Albania

Event Inaugural ‘Lunch for a Child’ is held in Adelaide

Cabrini and Priceline staff visit the children at the Farm

Event Genesys Pro-cycle team in Albury

Miss World Australia contestants visit the children at the Farm

Event The Annual Open Day is held at the Farm

Event Children First Gala Ball “A Date at the Diner” is held, at which the children are VIPs

Paul returns home to PNG

Thank You

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• Assoc Prof Peter Anderson

• Mr Andrew Broadhurst

• Mr Ian Carlisle

• Mr K M Cherian

• Mr David Chong

• Dr Geoff Clarke

• Ms Heather Cleland

• Mr Andrew Cochrane

• Mr Chris Coombs

• Dr John Crock

• Professor David David AC

• Dr Andrew Davidson

• Assoc Prof Leo Donnan

• Mr Richard Fejer

• Dr Vincent Gallichio

• Mr Angus Gray

• Mr Andrew Greensmith

• Mr John Griffiths

• Assoc Prof John Harvey

• Dr Andrew Heggie

• Dr Ian Hewson

• Professor Anthony Holmes

• Dr Ian Holten

• Dr Denise Lawry

• Mr James Leong

• Ms Bernie and Mr Paul Lew

• Dr Gail Littlejohn

• Dr Lionel Lubitz

• Ms Wirginia Maixner

• Mr David McCombe

• Dr Rob McDougall

• Dr Ian McKenzie

• Ms Beth McNeish

• Mr Mark Moore

• Mr Gary Nattrass

• Dr Sean Nicklin

• Mr Mike O’Brien

• Mr Minoo Patel

• Assoc Prof Beth Pennington

• Assoc Prof Anthony Pennington

• Dr Jamie Robertson

• Dr John Robinson

• Dr Tony Tan

• Mr Ian Torode

• Dr Anita Vinton

• Ms Robyn Wallace

• Dr Fiona Wood AM

• Ms Carol Woolcock

• Ms Allison Wray

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It is with heartfelt gratitude that we thank the exceptional surgeons, specialists and health professionals who together, have wrought ‘miracles’ in the lives of these children over the past two years.

Each is incredibly busy, totally dedicated to their profession and has a heart of gold. All of them work with Children First because they know they can make a difference to the quality of a child’s life.

Program Partnersworld-class expertise and care

Medical Professionals“Our relationship with Children First is a key expression of our mission, based on a strong tradition of care of the poor and most vulnerable,” says Gerard Smith, Director of Mission at St Vincent’s and Mercy Private Hospital.

“In an age where you can put a price on everything, we know that compassion is not something that you can simply package. It’s too easy to only value things in terms of what something costs, rather than the difference you can make,” he says.

“Children First does this work so well. We can be extremely confident that they will provide all the emotional, cultural and practical support that these children need whilst they are here, enabling us to focus on what we do best,” says Gerard.

Cabrini Health is also a long-standing program partner of Children First. Through their medical evacuation program, they have provided pro bono surgical facilities for many children requiring complex procedures over the past two years.

“Our mission is to look out and care for those who are underprivileged or at risk. The partnership with Children First enables us to offer our medical expertise to vulnerable children who would otherwise have little hope,” said Kate Barker, Manager of Cabrini Health’s Social Outreach Program.

Cabrini Health’s commitment to the children also extends beyond the hospital walls. Each year, hospital staff organise a variety of activities for the children living at the Farm.

“Our staff members love spending time with the children. Recently we organised a ‘big day out’ to the MCG where staff met the bus when it came from the Farm at Kilmore. We aim to give them four or five outings a year,” said Kate.

“We involve staff from all over the hospital – from finance, engineering and catering, as well as nursing staff. It gets them out of their comfort zone and they realise that the medical care we take for granted is out of the reach of these children. They find it very rewarding,” she said.

Children First is very fortunate to have the support of some of Australia’s leading hospitals which, driven by their own commitments to social justice, donate their world-class surgical facilities for our ‘Miracle sMiles’ program.

These relationships are critical to the success of the program. The children we help often need complex and sophisticated surgery which requires the expertise and infrastructure of large medical institutions.

Children First sincerely thanks each of the following medical institutions and their staff for their support and continued commitment to making a profound difference to the lives of the children we help.

Relationships

• Interplast

• ROMAC

• The Alfred Hospital

• Australian Craniofacial Unit Adelaide

• Cabrini Health

• Cabrini Hospital, Brighton

• Cabrini Hospital, Malvern

• Dandenong Hospital

• Epworth Healthcare

• Frontier Lifeline Hospital, Chennai, India

• Kilmore Hospital

• Knox Private Hospital

• Linacre Private Hospital

• Melbourne Pathology

• Memorial Hospital Adelaide

• Mercy Private

• MIA Victoria

• OAPL

• Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane

• Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne

• St John of God, Bendigo

• St Vincent’s Hospital

• Sydney Children’s Hospital

• Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide

Trishna and Krishna’s mother, Lovely, arrives to visit the girls

Abbas returns home to Iraq

The children attend the Rotary cricket game at the Hume and Hovell ground

The children attend the Oaks Day lunch at Kilmore Trackside

Event Indian Fine Arts

Event Open Garden in Hawthorn supporting Children First

Mark returns home to Albania, to return to Australia in 2012

Steven, 4, arrives from PNG for surgery on burn scars

Micheline returns home to Vanuatu

Trishna and Krishna celebrate their 5th Birthday

Mimoza returns home to Albania

Eman, Isoa, Kristian, Kylie, Maria, Modjeska, Mohammed, Steven, and Yousif remain in Australia for continuing treatment

The Futuremore children need our help

Whilst we celebrate the many amazing transformations in the lives of the children we’ve helped, we are ever mindful of the many children who are still waiting for their own

‘miracle smile’. One little boy, four-year-old Steven from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, has been waiting for more than a year.

Steven suffered severe burns after crawling into a fire as a baby: as the burns healed, the scar contractures have prevented him from standing or walking upright, forcing him to hobble around bent over.

We learned of Steven’s plight in 2010 but due to the remote location of his village we lost touch with him. Happily though, after much determined searching, we finally located him at the end of 2011 and welcomed Steven and his mother Christina to the Farm to prepare for surgery.

Plastic surgeon Chris Coombs, who has been working with us for over a decade, will operate on Steven in 2012 and enable him to walk again. Mr Coombs and his team will graft muscle and skin from Steven’s abdomen onto the burnt area of his hip. He expects that in a short time Steven will be moving freely.

Steven’s surgery will be at Cabrini Brighton and all surgery and hospital services will be provided free of charge.

“We are so fortunate that our hospitals are willing to donate their facilities to change the lives of these kids,” Mr Coombs said.

“There is a tremendous reward for all involved when you can make a positive impact on a person’s life,” he said.

As we look towards the future, we will continue to nurture our relationships with our valued program partners and share our vision with our generous donors and sponsors.

We will work towards expanding our network of representatives in the home countries of the children who need us, and growing our relationships with leading medical institutions across Australia.

While many of the children we help have suffered the hurt of prejudice and ignorance, being in Australia has allowed them to enjoy complete acceptance regardless of their disability or injury.

We believe that Children First has a particular responsibility in promoting understanding and acceptance of difference. This continues to be central to the work we do and the relationships we have.

Although our organisation is small, the energy, commitment and hearts of all who are involved are very great indeed. Together, we look forward to bringing many more ‘miracle smiles’ to the faces of other special children in the coming year.

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If, like us, you’ve been inspired and challenged by the children you’ve read about, there are many ways you can become involved in changing a child’s life.

Whether you would like to volunteer your time, make a donation from your salary, encourage your employer to partner with us or make a donation of goods or services, your support is vital.

Enabling a child to travel to Australia for life-changing and life-saving surgery is an often lengthy and complex process. It requires

perseverance, patience and an enormous team of like-minded and passionate people, both here and overseas.

It also requires a significant financial investment to care for and nurture each child before, during and after their surgery.

Without exception, every person who is involved in transforming the lives of these children knows the enormous satisfaction of making a profound difference, one that touches their hearts.

Individuals and BusinessesAllround Recycling Pty LtdAXA AustraliaBoom Properties Pty LtdBunnings SheppartonC WaughCabrini HealthCarey Baptist Grammar SchoolCountry Women’s AssociationDr Alan ReidDr Geoffrey ClarkeFamous Four Pty LtdFresh State LimitedGenesys Wealth AdvisersHelping HandHolt & Macdonald Pty LtdJacobs E&C Australia Pty LtdLabour of Love auxiliaryLake Macquarie Private HospitalLions Club, Melbourne Markets IncMarion Leo GroupMastery Co-operative LtdMcCallum Charity Golf DayMr & Mrs DowelMr & Mrs Noel and Kate Doyle

Mr & Mrs William and Eileen DoyleMr Christopher HarrisMr Graham W BurkeMrs Suzanne CampbellMs Irene AvramMurray ProjectsNancy VogelPatrick, Ivana, Anthony and Hannah CrabbPricelineRamsay Health CareRev Father J WareRotary Club of Horsham EastRotary Club of PrestonRotary Club of Southern MitchellSeven Network LimitedSt Monica’s College, EppingSummitSymbion Pharmacy ServicesTAG Financial Pty LtdThe Standard, WarrnamboolThick as Thieves Pty LtdWard McKenzie Pty LtdWWW ProjectsYarra Valley Conference Centre

Trusts and FoundationsAnnemarie and Arturo Gandioli Fumagalli FoundationBHP Billiton, Matched Giving ProgramCollier Charitable FundCommunity Enterprise FoundationGordon Brothers Charitable FundKenneth and Myrtle Topliss Charitable FoundationNewman’s Own FoundationOld Firm InternationalPerpetual Trustees LimitedThe Scobie and Claire Mackinnon TrustWCF Thomas Charitable Trust

To begin your journey with us please phone 1800 99 22 99 or visit our website www.childrenfirstfoundation.com

How to Helpcome on your own journey

ThanksWe gratefully acknowledge the support of all our generous donors, in particular our principal sponsors listed inside the front cover and the following major donors: they have each helped transform the lives of the children you have met in this publication.

www.childrenfirstfoundation.comwww.facebook.com/moirakellyschildrenfirstfoundation

66 Chapman Street, North Melbourne, Victoria 3051 Tel: 1800 99 22 99 or +613 9329 4822 E: cff@childrenfirstfoundation.com ACN 088 112 261

Design kindly donated by Grant Day James.

Printing sponsored by Adams Print.

Photos:Brian Carr Jay Town Melanie Faith Dove Teagan Glenane Valeriu Campan Darren Tindale

Craig BorrowRobert Reitmaier Fiona Hamilton Sunday Herald Sun Herald Sun Leader Community Newspaper Educational Resource Centre RCH