A million reasons to say thank you

Million dollars gifted by hardworking community trust to the health of local women.

Chair and Co-founder of the Coffs Harbour Pink Silks Perpetual Trust Tanya Johnson (left) and fellow committee member Nicole Pymont (right) with surgeon Shehnarz Salindera (centre) and Perioperative Services team members Kimberley Naylor, Brie Louez, Janice Chew, Kim Batty, Cherie Manuel, Leisl Dowling and Manager Margaret Laidley. Dr Salindera is holding one of the retractors and one of the monitors is at the back with Kim Batty.

COFFS Harbour's Pink Silks Trust has donated almost $30,000 in medical equipment to Coffs Harbour Health Campus, bringing the group's donations in support of local women to an extraordinary $1 million over the past 13 years.

The latest donation of $29,881.04 following the charity race day in January, has purchased two LCD monitors with stands and two breast retractors used by surgeons during breast cancer and reconstruction surgery.

The monitors enable members of the surgical team to see what the surgeon sees during an operation, while the breast retractors facilitate a natural breast reconstruction following surgery.

Pink Silks Trust Committee chair and co-founder Tanya Johnson said the donation was the culmination of a combined effort from local businesses and members of the Coffs community who wanted to make a difference in the lives of other locals.

"Our mission with all our donations is to help as many women as possible with their recovery from illness and to their future health," Ms Johnson said.

"It's locals supporting local women diagnosed with cancer, chronic or traumatic illness and those with disability. It's about helping to make a difference in their journey… and that effect rippling out to all who know and support them.

Perioperative services manager Margaret Laidley said the hospital was grateful to the Pink Silks Trust for the difference it makes to local women and their loved ones.

"We have a brilliant perioperative team at Coffs Harbour, and consider ourselves very lucky to have the support of our community, in particular the Pink Silks Trust and those who support its fundraisers," she said.

"That generous community spirit has a tangible impact on local families.

"We are very grateful for the equipment that helps us to treat and care for the mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts and friends who are our patients."