Staff were asked to make a small donation in exchange for their packs, with all proceeds going toward the VCH Emergency Department. VCH co-ordinator for the project, Australian nurse Libby White, was thrilled by the delivery.

“We called these wonderful packs Rapid Assessment Kits (RAKs) and sold them to healthcare professionals from all over the hospital. The ED staff were able to purchase them first, before they were offered to the rest of the hospital. We made up a poster, but did not need to advertise as news of the RAKs spread like wildfire and they sold out in 2 days!”

“On behalf of the very appreciative staff at VCH, I would like to say TANK YU TUMAS for your extremely generous equipment donation! By sending the RAKs to VCH, the Melanie Jewson Foundation has improved the care that healthcare professionals are able to give to their patients.”

Our major fundraising campaign for 2020, delivery of the Emergency Essentials project was delayed significantly by COVID-19. The aim of the project was to equip every local emergency nurse with a critical Rapid Assessment Kit containing fundamental equipment used to measure patients’ vital signs. This is the first time kits like this have existed at the VCH Emergency Department.

“The staff that received the RAKs were so excited and are now wearing them proudly around the hospital.”

We’re just as excited by the clear success of this project as the VCH staff were to receive the packs. We’re hoping to implement the project again in 2022.

“It was so much fun to be part of this donation,” Libby says.

We couldn’t agree more.