RCH patient, two-year-old Lexi West enjoys Good Friday at Etihad Stadium with her brother Jed (7) and sister Evie (6). Picture: Tony Gough Source: Herald Sun
Tayla Sladdin, 2, has cystic fibrosis and needs specialist help to keep her lungs clear and functioning. Picture: Jay Town Source: Herald Sun
VICTORIANS have pledged almost $6 million in donations for the courageous kids at Royal Children's Hospital as part of the Good Friday Appeal.
At 9am the tally sat at $88,000 in donations and has jumped more than $5 million to a whopping $5,815,494 at 4pm, as Victorians get behind the Royal Children's Hospital.
Victorian youngsters have been pledging their pocket money to help the appeal.
The total more than tripled earlier this morning after a $2 million donation from the Herald Sun Citylink Run for the Kids event.
More than 35,000 competitors helped raise the extraordinary donation last Sunday at the fun run News Victoria Regional Director, Mark Gardy described as an "incredible event".
The substantial donation took the Good Friday Appeal tally to a huge $3,047,959 just before midday.
Collingwood guns Darren Jolly and Ben Hudson, along with his son Ignatius, joined the desk to help take pledges, as well as players from the Melbourne Vixens netball team and a host of volunteers.
Earlier today generous Victorians pledged more than $645,000 in just over an hour with the tally growing from $388,193 at 10am to $1,035,083 just after 11am.
Premier Denis Napthine urged Victorians to continue to be "very generous".
Track the tally:
9am - $88,000
10am - $388, 193
11am - $992, 663
11:15am - $1,035,083.80
11:45am - $3,047, 959
12pm - $3,211,556
1pm - $3,566,930
2pm - $3,971,237
2:15pm - $4,049,067
3pm - $4,561,138
4pm - $5,815494
Over at the Royal Children's Hospital, the Easter bunny and footballers stopped by to visit the brave patients.
Roy Thierry (aged 8, from Geelong) who is in the RCH with Wilms Cancer, gets to meet visiting Richmond F.C. Players. Picture: Jay Town Source: Herald Sun
Roy Thierry, 8, was chuffed to meet Richmond players who posed for photos with the Geelong boy in his room on the oncology ward.
"I’ve shaken Chappy’s (Paul Chapman) hand before, but I haven’t got up close to a player before," he said.
Roy was diagnosed with Wilms Cancer, a rare cancer of the kidneys, 12 months ago.
But the tumour has returned and he has been at the RCH for the past eight weeks.
"The hospital does an incredible job. They do everything they can for the kids, but they need more money to help with research," said mum Joanne.
AFL players from the Western Bulldogs, Richmond, North Melbourne and Carlton have also visited the wards, handing out signed posters and posing for photos with their littlest fans.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the Good Friday appeal was so important as the Royal Children's Hospital was iconic for Victorians.
"RCH has touched so many people and so many families," he said.
"The way people get behind it shows where RCH sits in our hearts."
The Royal Children's Hospital is asking Victorians to dig deep and help raise more than $15.8 million to support their brave little patients,including strong little toddler Vida Dziduch, who is in intensive care after an 11 hour surgery on her brain.
Chemist Warehouse bosses helped kickstart the appeal, donating a substantial $27,000 this morning.
About 100,000 people will be fundraising and rattling tins at traffic lights across Victoria today, aiming to top last year's total for the Royal Children's Hospital's 82nd appeal.
The hospital's wish list includes a mounted ear microscope with video capabilities to replace the current equipment that is more than 30 years old.
Premature babies suspected of having eye diseases would be diagnosed more quickly through the purchase of a new eye examination trolley.
Donate to the Good Friday Appeal
An ultrasound for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit would allow the sickest children to be assessed in their beds, eliminating the need to move them.
Patients at RCH will be visited by a host of celebrities today, but Black Caviar jockey Luke Nolen got in first to spread some joy among sick kids at the hospital.
Dressed in his salmon and black polka dot racing silks, he handed out soft horse toys and signed caps.
Nolen signed autographs and posed for photos in the wards, and said visiting the children put things in perspective.
"It's only a small help to them I suppose, the little toys and caps," Nolen said.
"It's lucky I ride a famous horse."
Donate to the Good Friday Appeal
The champion jockey revealed he had spent extended spells in hospital as a teenager and paid tribute to the hard-working staff of the Royal Children's.
"It breaks your heart, some of the stuff I saw in hospital when I was a kid," he said.
"They do a fantastic job, the Royal Children's and the Good Friday appeal, itself.
"There are wonderful staff in these types of hospitals. It requires a gentle person and very giving people, and they do it day in day out, who comfort kids as best they can and get them all better most of the time," Nolen said.
The annual telethon for the Royal Children's Good Friday Appeal starts at 9am today and runs until midnight, while a family fun day is being held on the outer concourse of Etihad Stadium from 10am-4pm.
