Help Out For Jesse

Members of East Gosford Lions Club recently observed a young woman in the car park loading, with considerable difficulty, a wheelchair into a Ford wagon.  The Lions suggested a light-weight ramp might assist with loading.  However, in discussion with the lady, it was found that the woman’s 10-year-old son, Jesse, was profoundly disabled.  Jesse was born with a very rare syndrome called WOLF-HIRSCHHORN.  Jesse does not walk or talk or self-care in anyway and needs full assistance in every way to survive.

To further add to the distress of this family Ellie, the mother, has Multiple Sclerosis and she may one day also need to be in a wheelchair.  As Jesse gets older and heavier it is getting more challenging for Ellie to care for him.  Ellie’s 16-year-old daughter is the secondary carer and in time she may have to take on carer responsibility for her mother and brother.

With the difficulties of loading & unloading Jesse’s wheelchair, it is often impractical to unload and assemble it and Jesse is quite often not able to be properly supported when out of the vehicle.

Lions saw the urgent need for a wheelchair accessible vehicle to make life easier for Ellie in transporting Jesse to school, to doctors’ appointments and to improve the quality of life for Jesse and for the family.

With the assistance of several community organisations including Lions and Lioness Clubs, ‘Life without Barriers’, ‘4P for Aussie Kidz’,’Variety the Children’s Charity’, ‘Wheeling and Able’, Central Coast kids in Need’ and Kincumber Rotary Club $45,752 of the required $55,752 was raised.  The Lion NSW-ACT Public Health Care Foundation contribute a grant of $10,000 for the balance.

AN EXCITED MUM, ELLIE PUSHES AN EVEN MORE EXCITED JESSE UP THE RAMP INTO THE NEW VEHICLE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Better Labours For Young Mothers

Expecting mothers are set to experience better labours.  Young Hospital’s maternity unit now has it long awaited mobile cordless baby monitor which will now give mothers freedom to move around while in labour.  It will also improve safe birth outcomes and wellbeing of mother and newborn, and lead to fewer emergency transfers to larger hospitals which are no less than two hours away.

The Lions Club of Young and the Young Health Service Auxiliary raised $15,141 between them and the Lions NSW-ACT Public Health Care Foundation contributed a maximum grant amount of $15,000 for the purchase of the machine for $30,141.

Young’s nurse manager Wendy Dewar said research shows that women who are moving around during their birthing experience have shorter and more comfortable labours.  “Which is what we want to provide,” Wendy said, “it will make a huge difference to the workload of our midwives.”

Up until a week ago women were forced to stay in bed to have their baby’s heart beat monitored because the sensors were attached by cord to the old machine. “Now they will have much more freedom to move around, whether it be in the bath, bed or walking, and don’t have to be strapped to a bed,” Wendy said.

back, left to right, student midwife Jackie Cooper, Lions Club district governor Barbara Andrews and Young Lions Club president David Tame; front, nurse manager Wendy Dewar, LIONS Helen Sell AND Jan Foreman, midwife Sandy McKenzie, LION Carmel Price and Nola Noakes (Young Hosptial Auxiliary).

Operating Trolley For Eye Surgery At Belmont Hospital

Swansea Lions Club, with assistance from the Lions NSW-ACT Save Sight Foundation has presented a Stryker Eye Surgery Stretcher (Model 1089) to Belmont Hospital.  Provision of this equipment will increase capacity for vital cataract and other eye surgery by up to 50%.  The result will mean that the surgery will available to more people and reduce the time patients have to wait for cataract and other eye surgery.  The maximum capacity for 20 cataract operations per week at Belmont Hospital, when combined with modern surgical techniques, will increase to 30 per week.

With longer life expectancy cataract surgery is no longer an unusual operation.  It is expected that most people will require this type of surgery.  Until recently, cataract surgery was only performed on people up to the age of around 75.  Today it is not unusual for healthy 90 year olds to undergo cataract surgery.  This surgery is by no means needed exclusively by older people and there will be many younger people who will benefit from the equipment.

New Dialysis Machine For Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital

Beecroft-Cheltenham Lions Club's recent major community fund raising has been for the purchase of a much needed dialysis machine for Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital.

Their dream was realised when with the additional grants from the Australian Lions Foundation and the NSW Lions Save Sight & Health Care Health Foundation, Club President Dr Margaret Talbot was able to present a cheque for $62,450 to the hospital.

The machine will be used in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit for patients in need of emergency dialysis.

PICTURED ARE DISTRICT GOVERNOR GREG DUNN, ALF REPRESENTATIVE PDG BERYL PAYNE, FOUNDATION DIRECTOR LION JEAN-CLAUDE LEGRAND, BEECRIOFY-CHELTENHAM PRESIDENT LION Dr MARGARET TALBOT AND HOSPITAL GENERAL MANAGER Mr FRANK BAZIK

Medical Chairs For Transplant Unit At John Hunter Hospital

The Lions Club of Toronto, when one of their members received a transplant, identified the need for special Medical Lift Chairs in the Transplant Unit at John Hunter Hospital.  With the old chairs there was a high risk catching the catheter as the patient attempted to move.  Transplant patients are encouraged to get out of bed as soon as possible after the operation.

 With the help of the Foundations the club purchased four Harbourtown Lift Chairs.  These new chairs, presented to the hospital on 13th February, feature powered  adjustment up, down and back with no risk to patient or any attached medical equipment.  The chairs have a slow powered action and a removable back. 

Elles Eye Cubed Ultrasound Machine To Liverpool Hospital

A new Ultrasound eye scanner was presented to the Liverpool Hospital on the 24th February 2012.

The purchase of this machine was a conjoint project of the Lions Club of the City of Liverpool, NSW/ACT Save Sight Foundation and Liverpool Hospital.

Total cost $27,500.00. $12,000.00 being sponsored by each of the Lions Club of the City of Liverpool and the NSWS/ACT Save Sight Foundation, the remainder from the funds of the Hospital.

This Elles Eye Cubed Ultra Sound machine has many uses the least of which is measuring the length of the eye for cataract surgery and for the diagnosis of retinal detachments or tumours even when they are unable to be seen through thick layers of blood in the eyeball.

Prepared by Brian Rope APM CLO JP – Photo courtesy of Marianne Ciccione, Liverpool Hospital.  

Pictured across at the handover (front row) Leanne Gardner, Clinic Nurse Specialist, back row Director Lion Brian Rope, Lion Tony Madsen, A/Professor Anthony Schembri (Hospital General Manager), Dr. Stephen On. Clinician, Lion Yvonne Ross, Lioness Ruth Grimson, Lion Joy Goddard, Lion Roy Wright, Lion Ollie Lassen and PDG Lion Bob Grimson.

New Cardiotocograph (CTG) Machine And Two Obstetric Dopplers To Gosford Hospital

Some of Gosford Hospital’s smallest patients will benefit from new equipment for the Birthing Suite thanks to a generous donation from the Lions Club of Green Point-Avoca.

The Lions Club, with assistance from the Saratoga IGA Community Chest and the Lions NSW-ACT Save Sight & Public Health Care Foundation, raised almost $15,000 for a new cardiotocograph (CTG) machine and two obstetric dopplers.

Midwifery Unit Manager Kylie Normandale said the new equipment would enhance the level of care provided to mothers and their babies.  “The obstetric dopplers are used to monitor the fetal heart beat. These dopplers are waterproof so they can be used in the shower, or if the mother chooses to have a water birth,” Ms Normandale said.

“The CTG monitors a baby’s heart beat throughout labour. This machine is used primarily to recognise if the baby is in distress. If this is not recognised, it may tragically result in serious injury to the baby or even death.

“This particular machine allows women to be mobile throughout their labour which can help them be more comfortable.” Ms Normandale said it was very gratifying to receive such support from the local Lions, their Foundation and the staff and customers of IGA at Saratoga.

“We are grateful to have the unwavering support of the Green Point-Avoca Lions Club and our community, who are always willing to help us to continue to provide a high level of care for our patients,” Ms Normandale said.

Members of the Lions Club and Jeff Kukura representing the Foundation recently joined staff from Gosford Hospital for a demonstration of the new equipment.

Lions Club Green Point-Avoca President Dennis Fisher commented “It was wonderful to see how the staff at Gosford Hospital will be putting the new equipment to good use to enhance the level of care they provide birthing mothers and babies.  We know how important it is for babies to have the best possible start in life and we are pleased we could contribute to this.”

“We are very proud to have raised the money for the purchase of this equipment and would like to thank the NSW-ACT Save Sight & Public Health Care Foundation, IGA at Saratoga and the local community for getting behind us”, he added. 

Kinematics Polytron System To Aid Childhood Cancer Research

The West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Lions Club and The NSW Lions Public Health Foundation has responded to the needs of the Westmead Children’s Hospital Oncology Research Unit and presented a Kinematics Polytron System to assist  their scientists carry out vital cancer research.  

The new Polytron equipment is state-of-art, which will greatly assist the Tumour Bank isolate and analyse genetic material for various current cancer research projects. The Children’s Hospital at Westmead currently has over 25,000 cancer specimens donated by patients in the course of their treatment. The collection represents 50 varying cancer types. The machine will facilitate a better understanding of the various cancers and provide information sharing on a world-wide basis.

The Club’s President, Mr. Ken Budden, said that the West Pennant Hills Club continues to be a major donor to the Oncology Unit’s work because our members have a high focus on cancer projects that assist the survival rate of young children patients. Ken added that, as the equipment did not qualify for government funding, the Westmead Children’s Hospital is reliant on community volunteer organizations like Lions International to provide vital tools for ongoing  research.

During the presentation ceremony, Associate Professor, Dr. Jennifer Byrne, Acting Head of the Children’s Cancer Research Unit, on behalf of the Hospital, thanked the Lions for their hard work in raising much needed funds from the  community. She said that the unit’s scientific team appreciated the donation to assist furthering their work into the causes of cancer and improving patient treatments and outcomes.  

Club President Ken Budden and Foundation Director Jean-Claude Legrand receiving a Polytron demo.

Video Intubation Flexible Laryngoscope For The Operating Theatre At The Maitland Hospital

East Maitland Lions Club have donated a Video Intubation Flexible Laryngoscope to the Operating Theatre at The Maitland Hospital. This Laryngoscope cost $6,000, of which East Maitland Lions raised $4,000. The remaining $2,000 was donated by Lions NSW/ACT Save Sight & Healthcare Foundation. Lion Mick Boulton is a Director of this Lion’s Foundation.

This laryngoscope will assist the anaesthetists with easier insertion of endotracheal (breathing) tubes in surgical patients.

Pictured is Immediate Past President Lion Wal Sellers, Management Accountant, Velda Sturt, General Manager, Karen Kelly (holding the laryngoscope) & Lion Mick Boulton.

Lions NSW Eye Bank Informational Booklet

The Lions NSW-ACT Save Sight Foundation recently provided funding for the printing of informational / promotional booklets for the Lions NSW Eye Bank.

The Lions NSW Eye Bank is a not for profit organization that relies on the financial support of Lions Clubs, substantial annual financial support from the Lions NSW-ACT Save Sight Foundation as well as the Department of Health to provide this essential service.

Lions Eye Banks worldwide provide quality eye tissue for corneal transplants along with research and education.

Lions eye banks perform valuable sight-saving functions. A staff of professionals at the eye bank recover, evaluate and distribute human eye tissue for vision restoration, research and education. Eye surgeons rely on eye banks to supply them with eye tissue for sight-saving procedures for persons who have eye disease or injury.

Lions have been providing support for eye banks for nearly 65 years. Currently, there are 53 official Lions Eye Banks throughout the world.  Lions Eye Banks are located in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Republic of Philippines, Turkey, United States and Puerto Rico.

 Click here to download the Lions NSW Eye Bank Booklet.

Tanya Noble Project

The Toyota Commuter Bus with the Ricon wheelchair lift was delivered to Tanya Noble and her family on Thursday 1st May 2008.  Paul and Gail Noble are so relieved to have the convenience of being able to transport Tanya themselves; Tanya is on top of the world knowing that she can now have her electric wheelchair (her independence) with her if she has to go into hospital (just one example); the family can now enjoy outings together as a whole new world of opportunity has opened up.

Members of the family have repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Lions and to Coast Community Care who we worked with to make this project happen.

The total project required around $55,000. The Coast Community Care local fund raising effort raised $30,000, Lions Clubs from Zone 1 participated with a total contribution of $6,000, Australian Lions Foundation provided a grant of $9,345.

Lions NSW-ACT Public Health Care Foundation provided $10,000.00

The project has been a great collaboration between the community, local business, local Lions Clubs, a NSW-ACT Foundation and an Australian Foundation.

Coastal Disabilities Wheelchair Lifter Project

The provision of this wheelchair lifter was a joint project of the Lions Clubs from the Manning and Great Lakes area of New South Wales together with the support of the Lions Clubs NSW-ACT Save Sight and Public Health Care Foundations. More details to come.

Diabetes Awareness Booklet

The Lions and Lioness Clubs of the City of Liverpool, with the assistance of  a $10,000 grant from the Lions Clubs NSW-ACT Public Health Care Foundation, now have worldwide distribution rights for their enormously successful and widely praised diabetes awareness booklet “What You Need to Know if You Have Type 2 Diabetes”.

To date 80,000 copies of the booklet have been distributed all over NSW and the ACT.  The booklet has the support and approval of Diabetes Australia.

The International Association of Lions Clubs recently judged the Club as a finalist in the ’International Challenge to Change Awards’.  The Club was honoured at the 2008 Lions Clubs International Convention in Bangkok, Thailand.

The club was also the recipient of  the International President’s ‘New Horizons Award in Diabetes Education’.

Version 4 of the booklet is to be produced in the near future (hopefully with the assistance of a further grant from the Public Health Care Foundation) with the aim of wider distribution across Australia and the World.

It has to be said that this is a wonderful example of a project that had, perhaps, small beginnings but with the help of immense dedication and perseverance from a few has resulted in a potential benefit to so many.   The Foundation, for its part, and all those Lions, Lioness and others involved are to be warmly congratulated on this achievement.

Copies of booklet may be obtained by dropping an email to Booklet Chairman Lion Past President Brian Rope.  

Shane's Motorised Scooter

On Wednesday, 15th October, 2008, the 4 wheel motorised Scooter shown , with swivel seat for easier access, was presented to Mr Shane Westwood on behalf of the Lions Club of The City of Liverpool and the Lions NSW-ACT Save Sight & Public Health Care Foundations.

Mr Westwood is 33 years of age and suffers from Progressive Multiple Schlerosis and is confined to a wheel chair.  The motorised Scooter will enable Mr Westwood to take his young son to school and do the shopping, so that he can be of assistance to his wife who has to work full time.

The total cost of the Scooter was $4,990.00 and which was partially funded by a grant of $2,990 from the Lions NSW-ACT Save Sight & Public Health Care Foundations.

President Ollie Lassen and Liverpool Lions Members are truly grateful to all those who subscribed and helped bring this worthwhile project to reality.

Lions Keep An Eye On Baby Health

(Article printed in 'Daily Examiner' Saturday August 8, 2009)

"LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: Clarence Valley Lions Clubs joined forces to raise funds for an Indirect Ophthalmoscope for Grafton Base Hospital.  The instrument will be used to check the eyesight of premature babies, alleviating the need for parents to take their babies to Coffs Harbour for testing.

Project organiser Deyann McDonnell said the instrument cost about $5,000, with half raised from community fundraising and the balance donated by the Lions Clubs NSW-ACT Save Sight Foundation.

In its letter of appreciation, the North Coast Area Health Service expressed "great pleasure and gratitude for the HEINE UNPLUGGED BINOCULAR OPHTHALMOSCOPE, VIEW 20D AND 30D LENSES AND ACCESSORIES which is now in use in the Maternity Unit at the Grafton Base Hospital".  The letter went on to acknowledge the support of the foundation and the lions clubs of Maclean, Yamba, Wooli, Grafton and Big River,

The neo-natal ophthalmoscope will be beneficial for the premature babies at Grafton base hospital.  It reduces the need to transport premature babies out of hospital to have their eyes tested and will also allow premature babies born elsewhere to be returned to Grafton sooner as they can now have their eyes tested there. 

New Chairs Make Dialysis More Comfortable

Story reprinted from “Maitland Mercury” by Emma Swain

Maitland Hospital’s dialysis unit has celebrated its 10th anniversary with a $38,000 boost.

The generosity of seven local Lions clubs means dialysis patients will now have access to seven new electric treatment chairs, providing treatment to 41 patients three times a week.

Nurse unit manager Patrice Dobbs said the specially designed chairs offered improved comfort and independence for patients.

“This is a very generous donation from Lions and we really appreciate their support for the unit and our patients.  It’s a great birthday present,” Mrs Dobbs said.

“This has given us the opportunity to update the remainder of our treatment chairs all at once.”

Zone 9 Lions chairwoman Rosalea Sellers said the donation was a combined effort of the Lions Clubs of Branxton, East Maitland, Kurri Kurri, Maitland, and Rutherford and East Maitland/Beresfield and Rutherford Lioness Clubs.  

The clubs were assisted by the Australian Lions Foundation and the Lions NSW-ACT Save Sight and Public Health Care Foundation.

“We are very pleased that we have again been able to support the Maitland Hospital and have helped people in our local area who really need our assistance,” Ms Sellers said.

The Maitland Dialysis Unit opened on December 3, 1999 and initially operated three days a week.  It now operates 10 dialysis chairs with two treatment sessions a day, providing treatment to 20 patients a day, six days a week.  

Electric Bariatric Beds For Bellinger River District Hospital

The warmth that comes from giving and helping the less fortunate in the community was felt by a group of Lions from the Lions club of Bellingen on Friday 11th December 2009.

Not only did they feel that warmth but the hospital treated them to a scrumptious afternoon tea,  Why !

The members of the Lions Club of Bellingen got word that their local hospital was in need of some new electric beds and special mattresses.  The beds and mattresses were going to cost almost $11,000.  The hospital had close to $3,000 but needed some help with the balance.

Not afraid of a challenge the Lions Club mobilised their resources and set about raising the balance of the funds.

After raising an amount equivalent to the  hospital’s amount, the club applied to the Lions Clubs NSW-ACT Public Health Care Foundation for a grant.

The grant, if approved, would enable the purchase of the three Low Height Electric Bariatric Hospital Beds, complete with accessories and three Bi-Density Mattresses for the Bellinger River District Hospital.

With the objectives of the Lions NSW-ACT Health Care Foundation being “To promote, advance and assist the research into the causes, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of illness, sickness and afflictions of all kinds suffered by humans.” , the Foundation had no hesitation in approving the grant application and providing for almost $5,500 to add to the funds raised by the Hospital and the Lions Club of Bellingen.

This is just another fine example of the community assistance made possible by the Foundation of the Lions Clubs of NSW and the ACT. 

Lions club of Bellingen president ken smith trying out one of the new beds in front of several club members and nurse manager Carolyn heise. at either end of the group are foundation directors brian mc whirter and chris elford.