Playground
The George Gregan Foundation opened its first interactive outdoor playground at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead on 5th October 2006. With major partners Mirvac and Backyard Blitz, the playground was completed in three weeks and was officially opened by the Foundation’s very special Ambassador, Katie Power.
The project was based on Australian and international research and close consultation with The Children's Hospital at Westmead to design an accessible and equitable play environment for children with and without disabilities.
This playground has an aquatic theme and is filled with surprise water elements including sculptures of tortoises, crabs, fish, seal, walrus and an enormous octopus rising from the (fibre optic) river bed. The major focus of the playground is a giant pirate ship complete with sound effects on the gangway, which was very generously donated by Cure Our Kids.
To maintain the playground the Foundation has built two beautiful curved donor's walls. We would especially love to thank donors who have already supported the Foundation by buying a donor tile on these walls. There are still lots of spaces to fill on the new donor wall and we welcome any donation to this project. Every 3 months we will add new engraved stainless steel tiles to the donor wall which is closely guarded by a magnificent sculpture of 'Sweetheart' the 5m salt water crocodile. Donations to the Foundation will ensure the long term maintenance, upkeep, new play items and many more surprises are constantly added to the playground to entertain the kids and their families while visiting the hospital.
As part of its ongoing commitment to the Children's Hospital at Westmead, the George Gregan Foundation has installed additional shade structure over the playground and across the adjacent grass area and amphitheatre. The playground is now accessible in warmer months and the shade has created additional play areas for the kids. This upgrade and extension was made possible thanks to the generous support of our donors.
'Having the George Gregan Playground makes such a difference to the children and families who come to The Children's Hospital at Westmead - it's a hugely important part of our 'total healing environment' and while the children we treat are very sick, they are still children and play is such an important way of enabling them to express themselves'
Tony Penna, Chief Executive, The Children’s Hospital, Westmead
Playroom
The Foundation has recently funded the refurbishment of a playroom in the neurology ward at The Children’s Hospital in Westmead. The refurbishment of the Commercial Travellers’ Ward playroom is nearing completion. The structural work (which involved removing an internal wall and closing in a verandah) has been achieved and the playroom is now a big sunny room with a great outlook over the George Gregan Foundation Playground.
The George Gregan Epilepsy Fellowship
Since 2006 the Foundation has funded a Fellowship in Neurology at Westmead Children's Hospital. The George Gregan Epilepsy Fellowship provides clinical experience in the assessment, investigation and management of children with new onset and refractory seizure disorders. This is seen as a great investment in improving the treatment and results for children and their families.
The 2010/2011 Fellow, Dr Sekhar Pillai, is a great asset to the neurology team at Westmead. Below is an extract of his to the Foundation:
"I am very grateful and humbled to have been awarded the George Gregan Epilepsy Fellowship at the CHW for 2010/11. Epilepsy makes up a significant proportion of the work that paediatric neurologists are involved in as one in every 100 people has epilepsy. There is a significant medical and psychosocial burden that accompanies children and their families with difficult to control epilepsy. These are the patients that I am and will be involved with in my current position.
As the epilepsy fellow, I am part of a comprehensive epilepsy programme (CEP) multidisciplinary team which consists of an epileptologist, paediatric neurologist, clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist, clinical nurse consultants, dietician and research assistant. This inaugural team at the CHW aims to deliver a comprehensive and multidimensional care to children and their families with complex epilepsy. It is a privilege to be involved with such a high standard of multidisciplinary service which is the model of care of the 21st century.
As part of the CEP, I review children with complex epilepsy at an outpatient clinic and I am also involved with inpatient consults of patients with intractable epilepsy.
There are other ‘non-routine’ activities that I am involved in, including responding to family concerns about epilepsy and medication adjustments, formulating epilepsy action plans for families and schools and organising further investigations or medication scripts for patients. I also have to constantly review current medical literature on various conditions, syndromes and medications of patients that I encounter in daily practice.
As the epilepsy fellow, I am considering a number of research projects and I have completed an abstract on the EEG abnormalities on auto-immune encephalitis with the assistance of Dr Deepak Gill.
Since my commencement as the George Gregan Epilepsy Fellow, I have gained a phenomenal level of understanding and clinical experience in the field of paediatric epilepsy and neurology."
Dr Sekhar Pillai, MBBS, MPH, FRACP (George Gregan Epilepsy Fellow) |
We are immensely proud of the work the former George Gregan Epilepsy Fellows are continuing to do after the completion of their Fellowships.
- The 2009/2010 Fellow, Dr Sachin Gupta continues his career as a neurology fellow at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
- The 2008/2009 Fellow, Dr Chris Troedson is now a specialist in Paediatric Neurology at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
- The 2007/2008 Fellow, Dr Pyara Ratnayake continues to do some remarkable things in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with limited resources.
- The 2006/2007 Fellow, Dr Gopinath Subramanian is a staff specialist in paediatric neurology at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
“I just cannot emphasise how much the clinical fellowship has enhanced the care of children throughout NSW with epilepsy”
Dr Deepak Gill, Department of Neurology, Westmead |
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to train in Epilepsy through a fellowship programme sponsored by George Gregan Foundation.
Epilepsy is the most common significant neurological problem in children. The epilepsy program at Children’s Hospital offers experience in the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to medically intractable seizures. The program is ideally designed for those who wish to acquire advanced knowledge and skills in the comprehensive management of patients with epilepsy and its related disorders.
This fellowship program gives a solid education in comprehensive medical management of patients with epilepsy, in basic clinical neurophysiology, in selection and evaluation of patients who are candidates for epilepsy surgery, and in basic clinical research tools used in epileptology. The Epilepsy Fellowship Program provides additional advanced training in epilepsy and electroencephalography (EEG). During the fellowship I am learning to become proficient in:
- Interpreting EEGs of patients with epilepsy.
- Supervising prolonged video EEG recordings.
- Coordinating special studies.
- Performing surgical monitoring.
- Conducting clinical research.
Active participation in the comprehensive epilepsy program meetings gives me exposure to the detailed clinical, electrophysiological, imaging, SPECT, PET, and neuropsychological work up of chronic epilepsy patients, especially in the context of pre-surgical evaluation. I also attended the teaching sessions in the field of Medicine, Neurology, Neuroradiology and Neuropathology. I am also being exposed to excellent research in epilepsy genetics.
This comprehensive epilepsy fellowship would help me become a better Paediatric Neurologist. After completing the fellowship, I intend to incorporate this knowledge into practice wherever I go".
Dr Sachin Gupta, George Gregan Epilepsy Fellow - Children’s Hospital, Westmead |
Click here for a complete list of all equipment and donors who generously donated.
Click the image on the right for a larger view, or click here for a more detailed version
