The event, held late last month, gave donors a unique opportunity to see the impact of their contributions firsthand and to hear directly from hospital leaders’ Dale Fraser, CEO, and Dr Natasha Frawley, Director of
Women’s & Children’s Services.

“Every day, we see how the generosity of our community transforms healthcare here in Ballarat,”
said Dale Fraser, CEO of Grampians Health. “The people in this room are bringing new, innovative
equipment to our hospital, changing healthcare for generations to come. Donations help us
purchase equipment that includes life-saving devices such as infant resuscitation cots. This event
is our chance to show our donors that their donations directly touch the lives of patients and
families, and to say thank you and celebrate the incredible impact local supporters make.”

Tallulah Nelles-Cribbes was only two weeks old when she was rushed to the Ballarat Base Hospital by
her parents, with an unusual breathing pattern identified by her Maternal Child Health Nurse.
Tallulah was treated in one of the nine infant resuscitation cots that have been purchased through
donations.

“We arrived at the ED without a minute to spare and were immediately surrounded by 20 staff,”
said Anthony Cribbes, Tallulah’s dad. “She was put into a resuscitation cot, intubated, sedated
and received interosseous (between the bones) medication which put her heart into a normal
rhythm. Once stabilised she was transported, via PIPER (Paediatric Infant Perinatal Emergency
Retrieval), to the Royal Children’s Hospital where we spent two weeks.

“We feel very grateful for the wonderful care Tallulah received. The staff at the Ballarat Base
Hospital have been incredibly supportive throughout. While we’ve had a few more trips back to the
ED, Tallulah has now been symptom free for over 5 months.”

Anthony, mum Matilda, and Tallulah were special guests at the event, where they were able to share their story firsthand.

Over the past year, donations have supported a wide range of projects that directly impact patient
care, including a rehabilitation device for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, ultrasoundguided cannulation equipment for Maternity and Paediatric wards, electrosurgical devices for the
Operating Theatre and ongoing support for the Cancer Wellness Centre. Each gift, no matter the size, helps improve care for patients and families across the region.

Dr Natasha Frawley shared stories from women, children, and families who have benefited from donor-funded programs, highlighting the human impact of community generosity.

The Donor Thank You Event also provided an opportunity for the community to connect with the people
behind the services they support. Guests met staff and other community donors, learnt about key projects
funded by donations and celebrated the collective effort that ensures state-of-the-art healthcare
services is delivered locally in Ballarat.