Donation brings Christmas cheer to hospital

THE Ballarat Health Services Foundation has made a $25,000 donation to this year’s Grampians Health Ballarat Christmas Appeal.

The funding will go towards upgrading the Intensive Care Unit waiting room, where families with a loved one in the unit may spend significant time waiting for news.

The room will become lighter and brighter, and will have private areas and kitchenette facilities.

“As part of ICU we care for the most critically unwell patients in the hospital and for the vast majority of the time, the patients are either unconscious or so unwell they don’t really recall what’s going on,” intensive care services program director Megan Youngson said.

“Their family become a big part of who we look after as well so it kind of becomes the family and the patient as a package deal.

“Families spend a lot of time in that waiting room either waiting to come in and visit their family or they use it as a place to get a breather, clear their thoughts and have a think.”

Money raised by participants in the inaugural Ballarat Marathon made up $18,000 of the donation. An additional $7000 donation was made by the foundation.

Foundation council member Geoff Millar spent time in the ICU when he went into cardiac arrest while participating in Run Ballarat 10 years ago.

Mr Millar was treated by Grampians Health staff who were running in the event before being taken to the ICU. He said upgrading the waiting room will be important for the community.

“It’s a project that’s really, really valuable to families,” Mr Millar said.

“I can recall my wife wanting to be out there waiting and making phone calls to my son to let them know what was going on.

“It’s a gathering point too when families need to catch up with each other.”

Ballarat Marathon founder Adam McNicol said he was proud of the event’s impact and thanked the community for its support.

“We’re super proud that our event’s raised some really important funds for the Ballarat Health Services Foundation,” he said.

“For us, having a really big impact in the community is super important; it’s a key part of why we’ve started the event.”