The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation Newsletter
May 2012
Peter and Lisa Leeton with Lexie, 3, and Emily, 2.
Nine lives?
Peter’s happy with two.
It’s not just cats who need extra lives.
“Basically, I’ve got a two-chamber heart.” At three days old
Peter Leeton was placed in an oxygen tent to see if he’d
survive.
The tiny baby was born with both a malformed artery and
a very large hole in his heart. “My pulmonary artery never
formed properly, but because of the hole, blood just flowed
through so I didn’t need surgery,” Peter says.
A biosafety specialist, Peter has only had one serious
health event. Last year he went into organ failure after
contracting a severe virus.
“I was on the brink of death.” After three weeks in hospital
Peter was allowed to go home to continue intravenous
treatment for another six weeks. “I’ve had some extra time
at home with the kids while I recover. It’s exhausting, but
in a different way, in a good way.”
Although Peter’s condition is not thought to be hereditary,
he and wife Lisa have had their daughters fully checked
out. Three year old Lexie and two year old Emily are
healthy, fun loving girls.
“Sometimes people treat me differently when they find
out, but it’s just not necessary,” Peter says.
“I’m glad they didn’t operate when I was a baby. My mum
and siblings were so caring. I’ve had no real limits. I went
to school and university. I’ve got two fantastic children.”
627 Rode Road Chermside Queensland 4032 t: (07) 3139 4636 f: (07) 3139 4002 e: [email protected]
The 9 Lives Appeal
Nine lives? These guys are happy with two!
Our 9 Lives appeal is based on the fact that it’s not just
cats who need extra lives. Throughout the year, we’ll be
telling the stories of nine people who have received an
‘extra’ life, thanks to The Prince Charles Hospital and its
researchers.
Tony Stephens received a heart transplant last
year and went straight back to running
his busy company.
Kate Backhouse had a double
lung transplant and went on
to achieve a world record in
the Transplant Games.
The appeal includes bus stop posters, newspaper
advertising, a mailout to 62,000 homes in the suburbs
around The Prince Charles Hospital, and 400 posters
in Queensland Rail trains. We are also partnering with
Retail First shopping centres throughout May.
Thanks to the lovely volunteer foster carers of Little
Paws Kitten Rescue for supplying the sweet cats for the
campaign.
Last year we ran our Fixing Broken
Hearts appeals in winter and summer
to raise $250,000 during our 25th
anniversary year.
Thank you to
everyone who
supported the
appeals. We were
absolutely thrilled
to raise $154,349.80
in May/June
and $132,374.55 in
October/November.
Melanie Clemente
raised six children,
including her own
four daughters,
with cystic
fibrosis before her
double lung transplant
last year.
In total, the appeals
raised $286,724.35 in
2011.
Scientist Peter Leeton survived
major heart defects and organ failure to
become a dad.
Peter, Kate, Tony and Melanie are the first four
of our 9 Lives. Read their stories and support
the 9 Lives appeal at www.findingcures.com.au
For more information about research
your donations help to support, visit
www.tpchfoundation.org.au
Actors support research
Annual golf day
Pine Rivers Musical Association (PRIMA) will donate a
percentage of ticket sales to support research from their
upcoming Oliver show.
We raised over $14,000 for research at our annual golf
day in November. An enormous thank you to Barry and
Gail Gablonski for organising the event and Virginia
Golf Club for donating the greens fees.
Oliver is the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical
based on Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, the most
famous ophan in literature. Information about the Oliver
show is available by calling 3882 2102 or at www.prima.
org. Auditions are being held the first week of May.
PRIMA’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar was
staged in April, with a percentage of sales being
donated to the
Foundation.
Finding cures. Saving lives.
Huge thanks also
to our wonderful
sponsors
Westpac, AST
Auto Accessories,
Roof Racks
Galore, Indy
Industries, UV
4x4, ROAM
Consulting,
AGFA Healthcare,
Rhino Rack,
Hyatt, Eagers Holden, Dialogue Financial Management,
Panda Pearls and Viking Kayak.
www.findingcures.com.au
$270,000 grants for research
Ten novice researchers have been awarded nearly
$100,000 in total funding for their first projects.
The Foundation has also funded $170,000 in equipment
to help researchers find cures and save lives.
Eight small research equipment grants and six large
research equipment grants were awarded.
The researchers represent a variety of fields at The
Prince Charles Hospital.
needing to be replaced.
The list of novice researcher projects and equipment
funded is in the Current Research section of our website
www.tpchfoundation.org.au
The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation is one of the
few funding bodies which provides grants for novice
researchers and research equipment.
Queenland research
shines in Prague
Funding for novice researcher grants was introduced in
2010. So far, the Foundation has awarded $372,994 to 41
researchers starting their careers.
Last year, biomedical engineer Gabriela Simonova
received $9,609 to study the benefits of superglue as an
alternative to using tape to hold intravenous lines in the
arm.
Her project has contributed to a larger study across The
Prince Charles Hospital, Royal Brisbane and Women’s
Hospital and Griffith Research Institute. The SAVE
study is also supported by the Foundation.
The aim is to use superglue to increase the hold of IV
lines. This would improve patient care by reducing the
chance of infection through IV lines, and allow patients
more freedom to move around and shower without drips
Queensland was well represented at the International
Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation annual
scientific meeting this year.
More than a dozen doctors and researchers from The
Prince Charles Hospital travelled to Prague in April to
present their cutting edge transplantation research.
The contingent was one of the top three groups invited
to present papers and posters.
The Prince Charles Hospital has one of the most
successful lung and heart transplantation services in the
world, accompanied by an active research program.
Every day’s a sundae
Sharpen your sweet tooth, it’s nearly time for the Ekka
strawberry sundae!
sweet treat. We will be running six stalls this year and
we need your help.
The Foundation is thrilled to be partnering with the
RNA again to bring Queenslanders the Ekka’s iconic
About 2800 volunteers will be needed for the 10 day
event to prepare and sell around 150,000 delicious
icecream sundaes.
Ekka runs from 9 to 18 August. Our shifts
are mostly five hours long (plus a 15
minute handover to get everyone in and
out smoothly) and generally people will
be standing for the entire shift.
If you’d like to volunteer by yourself
or with a group, download the
registration form from our website (www.
tpchfoundation.org.au) and post or fax it
back to the Foundation.
Last year 2000 wonderful volunteers
helped raise $135,000 for medical
research.
The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation
www.tpchfoundation.org.au
Broncos partnership
The Foundation is very pleased to have been chosen
as one of the Brisbane Broncos’ 2012 charity partners.
Foundation staff and volunteers collected donations at
the Broncos v St George game in March, raising over
$900 to help support research. The Broncos are also
funding a tranquility garden for the new paediatric
emergency department opening in 2012.
Bare your sole,
it’s time to bowl.
Join us for our fabulous annual charity barefoot bowls
day on Saturday 26 May. The fun will be going down at
Everton Park Bowls Club. BYO team of four or we can
hook you up with some likely folk in need of a friend.
Tickets $25 per person ($100 per team), including a
delish lunch provided by the Foundation’s own superb
catering crew. Kids under 16 $10. Details at www.
tpchfoundation.org.au. Call us on 3139 4636 to book so
you don’t miss the fun.
Woolcock gala dinner
Professor John Shine AO and Ms Kate Backhouse
wowed the crowd at our 25th anniversay dinner in
November. Both gave personal and inspiring speeches
about their very different journeys in health - Kate as
a transplant recipient and athlete and Professor Shine
as a world leading medical researcher. Details of the
Woolcock Bequest are available in the Research section
online at www.tpchfoundation.org.au
Diary dates
May 26 - Barefoot Bowls
June 16-17 - Doll & Bear Show (volunteers needed)
June 20 - Queensland Rail city station collections
June - Men’s health event (date TBC)
August 9-18 - EKKA! (volunteers needed)
Plus, Queensland Rail fun run coming soon! Date to be
announced. See our online events calendar for details
at www.tpchfoundation.org.au
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Donations can also be made online at www.findingcures.com.au
Finding cures. Saving lives.
Please send me more
information about The Prince
Charles Hospital Foundation.
Please contact me to arrange for
a Foundation representative to
visit.
Please contact me regarding a
tour of the facilities and research
laboratories.
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information on how I can leave a
gift in my Will.
Thank you for your
continued support of
the Foundation.
www.findingcures.com.au