Bringing smiles to sick kids are just part of volunteer’s selfless schedule

Our Young Women winner makes a huge impact on many lives – but she says it’s something she loves doing.

Young Women winner Tani Bloudell. Picture: Kit Wise.

She spent a chunk of her childhood in hospital, but Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year Young Women winner Tani Bloudell sees the silver lining.

The 24-year-old believes it allows her to make a real impact in her role as a fundraising co-ordinator and volunteer with Radio Lollipop.

“I’ve been a patient and a volunteer, so I’ve seen it from all perspectives,” she says.

“It’s nice because I can show people who make donations and sponsor us why it’s so important we continue.

“I love what I do. I get to make such a difference and it doesn’t feel like a job.”

Tani Bloudell is a fundraising co-ordinator and volunteer with Radio Lollipop. Photo: Kit Wise.

Then there’s the hope that comes from sharing her story – Tani has overcome multiple challenges, including surviving a major car accident in 2015 that took away the use of her right arm for 18 months and left her needing multiple surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation.

She has severe anaphylactic allergies to common foods and medications, and a heart condition that will require open heart surgery.

Bringing smiles to sick kids may be her day job, but Tani has long been lending a helping hand to local causes.

“My parents taught me to be nice to people, to do anything I could to help, so I was passionate about that from a young age,” she says.

“I started volunteering with Riding for the Disabled at Tallebudgera when I was 12 and I went on to work with lots of different organisations.”

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While still in school at All Saints, Tani held a toy drive to fill backpacks with goodies for foster kids going into care

She also created her own foundation, E.D.G.E (Everyone Deserves Global Education), to establish a network of educational resources for less fortunate communities.

Under the initiative she has sent 1800 computers to Tonga with an IT expert to install them.

With the goal of helping even more people, Tani has aspirations to enter politics.