Perth Children's Hospital Foundation

Can a urine test revolutionise how we diagnose asthma in kids? 💭🤔 We’re thrilled to be funding groundbreaking research that could change the way we diagnose asthma in preschoolers. The goal of the MAP-2 study is to enable earlier asthma diagnosis and safer, more appropriate treatment for wheezing children via a non-invasive urine test. Learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/gSbydnWw

🐝 Buzzy Bees: Taking the Sting Out of Immunisations 🐝 Earlier this year, we visited the Maddington Child Health Centre, where Kiarri (3) and Kyla (5) received their immunisations with a little extra help from a ‘Buzzy Bee.’ Clinical nurse Andrea, from the Child and Adolescent Health Service and AHS Aboriginal Health team, demonstrated how the devices are making immunisations more comfortable for kids. Funded by PCHF, the Buzzy Bees are small vibrating devices with ice-pack wings that block sharp pain by interrupting the pain pathway, making the experience much less stressful for kids and their families. Andrea said, "Community health is about keeping children well and out of hospital. Having innovative tools like Buzzy Bees that help reduce the pain of injections has been really helpful. By placing it on the arm, between the injection site and the brain, it helps to block nerve signals, so the child hopefully doesn't feel the needle as much.” By easing stress and discomfort, Buzzy Bees are helping to improve the experience for Aboriginal families. And by boosting vaccination rates, we can protect more families around the state against illnesses like whooping cough and influenza. This initiative is made possible thanks to support from Telethon7 💙🐝

Can a urine test revolutionise how we diagnose asthma in kids? 💭🤔 We’re thrilled to be funding groundbreaking research that could change the way we diagnose asthma in preschoolers. The goal of the MAP-2 study is to enable earlier asthma diagnosis and safer, more appropriate treatment for wheezing children via a non-invasive urine test. Currently, distinguishing asthma from other conditions that cause wheezing in young children is a challenge. That’s why researchers at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) are teaming up with experts at Edith Cowan University for the innovative MAP-2 study, led by Professor Andre Schultz, a dedicated Respiratory Physician at PCH. Asthma symptoms – like wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing – are common amongst Australian kids, especially those aged 0-4, making it the leading cause of hospitalisations in this age group. With 70% of preschoolers likely to outgrow their wheeze, it's crucial to accurately diagnose those who truly need treatment, especially because traditional steroid-based treatments can potentially have serious long-term side effects. The MAP-2 study is proudly funded by Perth Children's Hospital Foundation, thanks to generous support from Pilbara Minerals Limited. Child and Adolescent Health Service #AsthmaAwareness #ChildrensHealth #PaediatricResearch #AsthmaDiagnosis #MAP2Study 📽️ Learn more at the link 👉 https://lnkd.in/giaN9V5C

We’re so privileged to support and see Professor Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg in action over the years across a range of life-changing research projects making the surgical journey for kids safer and less painful. Congratulations Brita and thank you for your ongoing commitment to WA’s sick kids 💜 📺 Watch video highlights: https://lnkd.in/g2G34vjv

Thanks to the team from Technical Resources, who have been keen supporters of PCHF and WA’s sick kids for more than eight years. Their most recent donation is set to be among the first to help us to fund a new burns project at Child and Adolescent Health Service (PCH), led by Professor Fiona Wood, Fiona Wood Foundation. In WA, hospital admissions for mental health diagnoses are between three to five times higher for kids aged 5 –14 years, regardless of how severe their burns or scarring might be. This generous donation from Technical Resources will help PCH researchers to uncover the relationship between the long-term physical and mental health impacts of burns, paving the way for more holistic, personalised treatment. This has the potential to improve mental wellbeing and quality of life for kids with burn injuries, as well as helping to improve screening and assessment of kids in future, so that clinicians can better identify kids with burn injuries at risk of mental health issues. If you’d like to fund a PCHF project here in Perth that aligns with your organisation’s values, please reach out to our Fundraising Team via fundraising@pchf.org.au. #BurnsResearch #Burns #BurnInjury #MentalHealth

We were thrilled to welcome some of Perth's incredible career firefighters to tour the world-class Burns Service at Child and Adolescent Health Service last month. Over the past 18 years, the iconic Perth Firefighters Calendar has raised more than $1.7 million for PCHF, helping to support WA kids like Ruby, who received severe third-degree burns at just four years old, after an accident in the kitchen. Ruby spent 19 days in hospital, undergoing numerous surgeries followed by months of recovery and treatments to help her skin heal, including spray-on skin, skin grafts and laser therapy to improve scarring. While Ruby is now thriving, she may require further surgeries once she turns 16. 📅 The 2025 Perth Firefighter’s Calendar is on sale from mid-November, with tickets for the official November 15 launch event at the Court Hotel now on sale. Tickets are $50 and include event entry, as well your very own copy of the 2025 calendar. Don’t miss out, visit link https://lnkd.in/gVBxF6cn for more info. #Firefighters #PCHF #PerthChildren #SupportWAKids

Ever wondered where your donations go? Thanks to YOUR support, we’re fuelling groundbreaking cardiology research right here in WA at Child and Adolescent Health Service, and it has the potential to change lives right around the world. But don’t just take our word for it, watch to learn more about the FH in Kids study from Dr Andrew Martin, whose team of researchers is aiming to identify 25% of all kids with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) over the next three years. Imagine a world where we can catch conditions like FH with a simple blood test – preventing heart issues before they start! Today is your LAST chance to donate to PCHF’s Spring Appeal and support WA kids like Burke with heart-related conditions. Visit the link pchf.org.au/donate to dive into his story and give a gift for the heart today. #GiveAGiftForTheHeart #HeartHealth #ChildrensHealth #SupportWAKids #FHawareness #FamilialHypercholesterolaemia #KnowFH #FHAustralia

🌊 Research Update: Move to Improve Goes Global 🌍 Jo White, Senior Clinical Psychologist at Perth Children’s Hospital and Post Doctorate Researcher, Hamsini Sivaramakrishnan took Move to Improve to the international stage this month, travelling to Portugal for the European Health Psychology Conference. 🌐 During the symposium “Surf Therapy: Discovering Health and Well-being in the Surf and the Sea,” Jo, who leads Move to Improve’s surfing program, discovered the initiative’s unique family-based approach is what sets it apart. In addition, Hamsini’s presentation focused on the importance of collaboration, highlighting that by involving kids, families and health professionals from the beginning, personalised physical activity programs can reflect the needs and preferences of families, while still being feasible for health professionals to deliver. 🏃♂️ Move to Improve is a groundbreaking ‘movement as medicine’ research initiative helping WA kids living with long-term health conditions such as cancer, type 1 diabetes, cerebral palsy, juvenile arthritis, and cystic fibrosis to reconnect with physical activity. Through surfing and other physical activities, the program aims to help kids improve both their physical and mental health. ⚽This year, Move to Improve is expanding beyond surfing, offering tailored support to help kids set personal movement goals - whether it’s walking for five minutes without stopping or getting back into sports like footy! 🌊 Following the conference, Jo and her international colleagues are working to establish a platform to regularly share insights and advance the practice of surf therapy across Australasia. Move to Improve is proudly funded by Perth Children's Hospital Foundation and The Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, with support from Principal Partner Mineral Resources Limited via Channel 7 Telethon Trust, Amazon Australia, Euroz Hartleys Port to Pub with Hotel Rottnest, Globe BD - Accounting Taxation & Business Advisory , the Perth Firefighters Calendar, and the WA community. This project is also made possible thanks to the Child and Adolescent Health Service, and researchers at The University of Western Australia and The Kids Research Institute Australia. #SurfTherapy #MoveToImprove #GlobalImpact #MentalHealth #MentalHealthResearch

Earlier this month, we were thrilled to present Olivia with her very own top-of-the-line FrameRunner, bringing her one step closer to her dream of competing in the Paralympics. Funded by PCHF, thanks to the generous support of the Carcione Foundation, Olivia is now the proud owner of a state-of-the-art, lightweight, Danish-designed FrameRunner, which is allowing her to train and compete more easily. Dr Noula Gibson, Senior Physiotherapist at Child and Adolescent Health Service, was instrumental in sourcing and fitting the new FrameRunner for Olivia. Olivia said: “When I was eight, I had surgery to remove a brain tumour. The tumour was successfully removed, but then they found a second tumour. After more than seven hours in surgery, the medical team decided to only remove the second tumour if it grows or becomes active in the future. “Before my surgery, I loved dance and gymnastics, but afterwards I had to relearn how to walk and talk. PCHF has supported me throughout my recovery, and this new FrameRunner is a big step toward my ultimate goal of competing in the Paralympics." Help us turn more dreams into reality for WA’s sick kids. Learn more, visit https://lnkd.in/gqfNE_k4 #FrameRunning #Paralympics

Meet Katie Maslin, an Echocardiographer at Perth Children’s Hospital, pictured here with two state-of-the-art cardiac ultrasound probes funded by PCHF, which are making a real difference in the lives of WA kids with heart conditions.   Each year, the Cardiology team at Child and Adolescent Health Service performs over 5,000 heart ultrasounds (echocardiograms), diagnosing and managing heart disease in kids ranging from newborns to teenagers.   With these upgraded probes, clinicians like Katie are providing higher quality, more accurate diagnoses, particularly for our youngest and most vulnerable patients, using advanced real-time 3D imaging.   This equipment is also vital for high-risk surgical patients, helping to ensure their heart can safely cope under general anaesthetic. In addition, the probes also support essential cardiac research and training for future specialists, including cardiology fellows and junior sonographers.   Thanks to the support of our generous donors, like ToyBox Australia, this life-saving technology is already making a big impact. But there's still more we can do.   Donate today to support world-class care for WA kids with heart-related conditions. Every gift for the heart makes a difference ❤️ Visit pchf.org.au/donate   #GiveAGiftForTheHeart #HeartHealth #ChildrensHealth #SupportWAKids #WorldClassCare