Christmas gift wrap fundraiser to transform Cairns hospital special care nursery

Nurses and volunteers are spreading Christmas cheer for the tiniest members of the community, with a gift wrap fundraising station at Cairns shopping centres. How you can help.

The Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation is offering gift wrapping at Cairns Central this Christmas season, with donations raising funds for new murals in the Special Care Nursery at the Cairns Hospital. Six month old Andrew Franz, pictured with his mother Samantha Franz, spent the first two months of his life in the Special Care Nursery at the Cairns Hospital. Picture: Brendan Radke

Far North families welcoming premature babies will soon experience a more calming and connected environment in hospital, thanks to volunteers gift wrappers this Christmas.

Cairns hospital nurses and volunteers will spend hundreds of hours wrapping presents to raise funds with the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation for a new mural in the Cairns hospital Special Care Nursery Unit.

Cairns Hospital Special Care clinical nurse Colleen O’Donnell said the mural would help families during what can often be a stressful time, particularly for those travelling for medical care.

Six month old Andrew Franz, pictured with his mother Samantha Franz, spent two months in the Special Care Nursery at the Cairns Hospital, and was reunited with nurses Rebecca Capper, Donna Martin, Dannielle Formosa, Eleisha Rumble and Abbi Lister at Cairns Central's Christmas gift wrapping kiosk. Picture: Brendan Radke

“The admission to special care is often unexpected and it’s really a delicate and sometimes a stressful time for our families,” Ms O’Donnell said.

“They often spend weeks at the bedside, or they travel hundreds of kilometres from all over The Cape and the Torres Strait, so creating a space where they feel connected to country and welcomed, and can relate to the environment is really important for them.”

The mural, created by local artists Hayley Gillespie and Jeddess Hudson, will incorporate natural fauna and flora, and Indigenous designs.

Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation marketing manager Glenys Duncombe said 130 volunteers and nurses jumped at the chance to help the tiniest members of the community.

Six month old Andrew Franz, pictured with his mother Samantha Franz, spent two months in the Special Care Nursery at the Cairns Hospital, and was reunited with the nursery's nurses at Cairns Central's Christmas gift wrapping kiosk. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Not only are they looking after the babies in hospital, they’re supporting the work that we do to help them” Ms Duncombe said.

Ms Duncombe said everything from gold coins to larger donations were welcome.

“Last year, we hit over $50,000 between the two shopping centres that we did – we’ve never done that much before, and it would be good to get that close again this year,” she said.

“It’s Christmas, it’s all about little children and babies coming into the world, so you really want to make their experience the best you can, and now’s the time to do it.”

First time mum Samantha Franz, whose son Andrew was born nine weeks premature, said the Special Care Unit helped equip her and her husband in the weeks after his birth.

“Seven long weeks of going home every night without your baby (was tough), but the team was amazing. They were so supportive, they taught me so much,” Ms Franz said.

The Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation gift wrapping station will be open at Cairns Central and Earlville Shopping Town until 6pm on Christmas Eve.

Originally published as Christmas gift wrap fundraiser to transform Cairns hospital special care nursery