Lindt Cafe survivor offers hope to others through the Louisa Hope Fund for Nurses
LINDT Cafe siege survivor Louisa Hope is providing hope to new patients and the nurses who care for them through her charitable work with The Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation.
Southern Courier
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LINDT Cafe siege survivor Louisa Hope has well and truly lived up to her name.
After spending three months in hospital for injuries sustained in the incident, including a bullet wound in her foot, she now provides hope to new patients and the nurses who care for them through her charitable work.
The Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation’s Louisa Hope Fund for Nurses has to date raised $180,000 for nurse-initiated projects.
Grants are handed out to nurses as “seed money” for projects the fund deems important to the hospital and its patients.
“I realised we could do something bigger to say thank you to our nurses but also to encourage them,” Ms Hope said.
“They’re so focused on us, their patients. I’d be happy if they wanted a coffee machine for themselves but no, no, they didn’t. They just want to help.”
“They know more than anyone what is needed on the ward.”
Ms Hope said the POW nurses were a “blessing” during her recovery.
“My foot was a bit of a mess and I had to focus on learning how to walk again,” she said.
“It was a horrendous event for the whole society. They were very calm when I first came in, very gentle with me.”
On Wednesday she will speak publicly alongside NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller at the 2018 POWer lunch at Parliament House.
She said while the siege “lives” with her every day, she still visits the cafe to reflect.
“There’s no use being afraid.”
Instead, Ms Hope espouses resilience and gratitude — reflected in her tireless work for the fund and hospital.
She said the fund also assisted nurses Australia wide.
In one case, a grant from the fund led to the creation of an app specifically for nurses called Nursewell. The app offers nurses and midwives tools to support self-care and promote wellness.
“It helps them to remind them to look after themselves. I’m very happy with that particular grant,” Ms Hope said.
This year’s POWer lunch will be focusing on developing a leadership lounge for nurses aimed at ensuring they are equipped with the tools, research and training to best navigate the innovative changes under way at the hospital.
To purchase tickets to the lunch visit: powhf.org.au/event/lunch-with-hope/