When Harriet Waugh’s first child was born prematurely, she spent four months at The Royal Hospital for Women.
The experience changed her life and inspired a mission that is now helping transform care for thousands of women and newborns.
The Sydney hotelier and philanthropist founded the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation’s Ladies Luncheon in 2016, bringing women together to fund lifesaving equipment, research and care.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
This year, Waugh and her committee have set their most ambitious goal yet: helping fund Australia’s first neonatal MRI machine inside The Royal’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The dedicated machine would allow doctors to obtain safer, faster and more precise images of a baby’s brain without transporting fragile newborns to shared adult imaging facilities.
Earlier diagnosis of brain injuries and other serious complications could mean faster treatment and more specialised care during the critical first days of a baby’s life.
“After spending four months at The Royal Hospital for Women following the premature birth of my first child, I was inspired to help other families experiencing high risk and complicated pregnancies,” Waugh said.
“Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of women since the Luncheon began, the Foundation has been able to fund the latest cutting edge technology and innovative care programs to provide lifesaving treatment for thousands of women and babies.”
The need for that specialist care is reflected in the story of baby Andy Macintyre, who stopped breathing just one minute after birth and required 10 minutes of CPR before being transferred to The Royal’s NICU.
Andy underwent emergency cooling treatment to reduce the risk of brain damage, with an MRI needed to assess his brain. He spent 28 days in hospital, with 20 of those in the NICU.
His family later raised $20,000 for the Foundation.
The Royal’s NICU supports about 1000 premature and critically ill babies every year. It is Australia’s largest and most specialised intensive care unit providing surgical care for newborns.
More than 80 per cent of the equipment inside the unit has been funded with the support of generous donors.
Royal Hospital for Women Foundation CEO Elise Jennings said the neonatal MRI would help establish a new benchmark in newborn care.
“As the sole charity for The Royal Hospital for Women, the Foundation’s mission is to transform the lifelong health of women and newborns, improve health outcomes and drive lasting, systemic change,” Jennings said.
“There is something incredibly powerful about women showing up for other women.”
Now in its eighth year, the Ladies Luncheon has raised more than $3.5 million, helping fund Australian firsts in medical equipment, research and clinical programs.
Joining Waugh on the committee are Deborah Symond O’Neil, Madeline Holtznagel and Zena Nasser White.
Waugh said the group was determined to grow the initiative and its philanthropic impact by funding bold programs capable of changing the future of women’s and newborn health.
The goal is ambitious, but the potential result is profound: world leading technology that could change the course of a child’s life before they have even left hospital.
The eighth annual Ladies Luncheon will be held at Mimi’s in Coogee and raised $1.1 million dollars.
