Record fundraiser secures $4.3m lifesaving surgical robot for North Queensland

A Far North couple's brush with cancer has sparked a community campaign that's delivered North Queensland its first public hospital surgical robot.

Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation chief executive Gina Hogan and chairman Ken Chapman at the Trinity Advisory Christmas fundraising lunch at Little Sister restaurant, which raised $500,000 for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation's Donate for DaNi campaign. Picture: Brendan Radke

A record-breaking Christmas fundraiser has closed out a six-year battle to give North Queenslanders the same lifesaving equipment as their southern cousins.

Trinity Advisory Groups annual lunch raised $500,000 for the FNQ Hospital Foundation on Friday to reach the $4.3 million needed to fund DANI, a new surgical robot for the Cairns Hospital.

Foundation CEO Gina Hogan said the achievement meant residents could expect faster recovery times and safer surgeries.

In pictures: The Trinity Advisory Christmas fundraising lunch

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“What a surgical robot does is it takes a surgery that would usually take the same hospital up to a week out for the patient to recover, the patient is recovered the next day,” she said.

“The new surgeons coming through the train on these robots so it's when it comes to attracting and retaining new staff if they see we don’t have it, they may not come at all.”

Rod and Sue Sherrington hosted their Trinity Advisory Christmas fundraising lunch at Little Sister restaurant, which raised $500,000 for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation's Donate for DaNi campaign. Picture: Brendan Radke

The campaign, which was started by Trinity Advisory Group’s Rod and Sue Sherrington, evolved after Mr Sherrington received lifesaving care from a surgical robot for prostate cancer.

The couple began fundraising after realising the robot did not exist in the Far North’s public health system.

Ms Hogan said it was fitting to end the journey where it all started.

“Trinity Advisory Group were already raising funds when we launched the fund – which meant we already had over $800k raised to start with,” she said.

“What’s really special is they started the appeal and they will finish the appeal.

“It just shows the power of a community coming together can genuinely make a difference.”

Originally published as Record fundraiser secures $4.3m lifesaving surgical robot for North Queensland