Georgia Rocks

On the August 4^th 2010 our world fell apart. Our gorgeous eighteen month old daughter Georgia was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). Suddenly we were introduced to a world of lumbar punctures, bone marrow biopsies, chemotherapy and a new dictionary of unpronounceable words and procedures. We  became resident at Sydney Children’s Hospital for weeks at a time, and we were fortunate compared to the many families we have come to know battling far more difficult forms of cancer.

Because of Georgia’s illness, we have become very familiar with C2West, the Oncology Ward at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. The ward treats over two hundred children aged 0-17 years with newly diagnosed cancer or blood disorders, including leukaemia, solid tumours and lymphomas.

Nearly 60% of the children treated on the C2West ward come from well outside the Sydney Metropolitan area. Many of these families must relocate to Sydney for the duration of their child’s treatment, often leaving behind jobs, family members and most importantly, a support network.

As a parent it is hard enough to sit by your child’s bed day by day, helpless to do anything but love and support them. It is even harder when you have to do this chronically sleep deprived from the long nights in an uncomfortable sleeper chair.

As all children must be accompanied by a parent overnight, C2West has single sleeper chairs next to each patient’s bed. These are not very comfortable for a single evening, much less for weeks and even months at a time.

Georgia Rocks is a fundraising initiative formed by a close group of friends helpless in Georgie’s battle – still desperately wanting to help in some small way. Our first project is the replacement of parent sleeper beds for C2West. We hope to not only impact parents and families in C2West but in other wards of the hospital over time.

Our goal is to raise at least $40,000 to replace the 20 beds in the Oncology Ward. Your contribution will make a lasting difference to hundreds of families and children over time. $2000 will pay for one bed, and any amount you can contribute is hugely appreciated.

Thank you for helping us help others,

Richard, Caroline & the Georgia Rocks Committee