Lismore garden party to raise funds for life-saving baby care

A LISMORE garden party will raise funds to buy life-saving equipment for local hospitals, helping care for premature babies at risk of blindness.

The annual Our Kids Melbourne Cup Garden Party Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, November 5, at Invercauld House.

This year’s $159,000 goal will help buy an Icon Go Retinal Imaging System.

Local teams using the shared, portable equipment can send pictures immediately to the Queensland Paediatric Team, which provides remote specialist treatment.

While seemingly rare, ROP was the cause of Stevie Wonder’s blindness. The potential of pre-term babies going blind at 35 weeks, and the locally-based equipment means that the medical teams can scan on any day at any hour so that treatment can commence immediately.

The equipment will support the care of babies at risk at Grafton, Lismore and Tweed hospitals.

Halls Bus Co, 5-Star beachfront Bryon Suites and Amber Bryon are sponsoring prizes, cash prize sweeps and gifts from local businesses, including Mel’s Melting Moments and Winks Hairdressing.

The Fairmarket Lismore Antique Centre has donated pearl necklaces valued at $595 for two guests who attend and a $3,000 smoky quartz and diamond ring one lucky guest will take home.

The day offers an excellent opportunity to gather the girls, frock up, don a fascinator, and enjoy a flutter while supporting lifesaving and life-changing equipment for the tiniest patients.

To book for the 11 am event or more information on donating to the Icon Go Retinal Imaging System, contact the Our Kids Office at 6620 2705 or visit ourkids.org.au