Full hearts: Meet the club making a difference for sick kids

This local club’s kind gestures and contributions have been bringing smiles to the faces of sick children for two decades.

Members of a local club have been bringing smiles to the faces of sick kids for 20 years.

The Darling Downs Veteran Vintage Motor Club has been supporting Toowoomba Hospital’s Oncology Unit for two decades through generous and ongoing donations.

Delma Fischer and her husband Bill, who have been members of the club for the last 44 years, said the partnership was rewarding.

“It all started in 2001 when the club’s former president was diagnosed with cancer himself and starting receiving treatment at the hospital’s oncology unit,” Ms Fischer said.

“He said all the adults knew why they were in there but the children didn’t … they thought they were being punished.”

Members began passing a donations tin around at their monthly club meetings and have been surprising young patients with special gifts for two decades.

“The hospital will call me and provide the first name and age of children who are patients in the oncology unit at the time and I will then go out and find age-appropriate toys and gifts for them,” Ms Fischer said.

“To reward the kids for their bravery after undergoing a big procedure, they can choose a special lucky dip from our Bravery Box.”

The club also raises funds for equipment, resources and donates Christmas gifts for each child every year.

Members recently funded the purchase of The Medikin – a soft doll that help clinical nurses and doctors to teach children about how their bodies will respond to chemotherapy.

“It has been a pleasure being involved over the last 20 years but it’s all thanks to the generous donations from our club members,” Ms Fischer said.

“We hope to be able to continue this work for many years to come.”

Originally published as Full hearts: Meet the club making a difference for sick kids