Maitland Hospital received a welcome financial boost from a group of bike riders involved in a 1200km charity trek.
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The 1200kms for Kids Charity Bike Ride team dropped into the hospital on Friday to present a $4,400 cheque for a Radical-7 Pulse Oximeter.
The oximeter works as a portable oxygen and heart rate monitor for paediatric emergency presentations.
Maitland Hospital acting clinical nurse educator Kat McCutcheon said the machine allowed for “a quicker and more accurate assessment” of patients.
Children who are scared are able to stay with their parents while they are assessed, as the machine hooks up by just a small clip on the finger.
The hospital owns several of the machines already, which Ms McCutcheon said make their job easier and create a more comfortable experience for the patient.
“[The machine] will help us deliver care and assessments in a timely manner,” Ms McCutcheon said.
“It helps us and helps [the patients].”
[The machine] will help us deliver care and assessments in a timely manner.
- Maitland Hospital acting clinical nurse educator Kat McCutcheon
The donation was one of several made by the 17 riders and seven support people on the 1200kms for Kids tour through the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.
The nine-day charity ride began at Nambour, Queensland on Friday, October 14 and concluded at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney’s St Leonards on Saturday, October 22.
Friday’s trip involved a stretch from Muswellbrook to Maitland, where the riders made the donation and had lunch, before they continued on to Newcastle.
The 1200kms for Kids rider was conceived in 2005 by two friends - Trevelyan Bale of Sydney and Gary Richardson of the Sunshine Coast.
It was started as a way to give back to the hospitals that tirelessly help sick children around Australia.
The inaugural ride took place in 2006 and to date the ride has raised more than $1.3 million for sick kids.
This is the first time the riders have stopped in or made a donation at Maitland.
Ms McCutcheon said they were extremely thankful to the riders for the visit and the donation.
“We do really appreciate that these guys stopped in and saw us on their ride,” she said.
To support the cause and for more information about the ride visit www.1200kmsforkids.com.