Newstead and District Fire Brigade members Christopher and Cheryl Simmins have a deep connection to the The Royal Children’s Hospital’s annual Good Friday Appeal, and one that sadly comes with a great deal of grief.
When their seven-month-old son James died in 1977, the support from staff at The Royal Children’s Hospital left a profound impact on them.
“Our son James would often go blue and stop breathing, and we’d rush him to the doctor, but by the time we got there he would be fine,” Christopher said.
“Then one morning he was transferred to RCH, where he remained until he passed away seven months later.
“The staff at RCH were amazing, and treated James as if he was their own child.
“We dealt with many specialists, many surgeries, all different types of medication and nothing helped. We know now that he had a unique neuromuscular atrophy, but it’s still never been fully understood.”
Despite the incredible toll James’ loss had on them, Christopher and Cheryl became passionate about fundraising for the Good Friday Appeal. Now the local area manager for the appeal, it was Christopher who ultimately led the Newstead Fire Brigade to get behind the cause.
“He [James] was there, and then he wasn’t. We couldn’t drive near the hospital for about 20 years, because it just brought on so much trauma. After he passed away, I threw myself into helping as much as I could at the time, but it was devastating,” Christopher said.
“We moved to Newstead in 1984, and I joined the brigade and became fully involved in everything they do, all the community events. Separately, Cheryl and I also raised funds for RCH.
“The brigade had never fundraised for the appeal before. It took a while, but in 2010 I asked the ‘has anyone here ever needed The Royal Children’s Hospital?’, and half the brigade put their hand up. So, we started from there.”
In 2011, their first year of fundraising as a brigade, they raised $850. But they also achieved something bigger – shifting mindsets in the brigade and proving that it could be done.
“Getting started and breaking the ice, in a sense, was a bit tricky. But the personal connections to the hospital – whether it was a child, sibling, niece or nephew – it helped people to understand the importance,” Christopher said.
“Our approach is that it’s not how much you raise, but being part of something that’s bigger than us. It’s for the betterment of the kids, the research, and the awareness. Whether we raise $500 or $500,000, it’s all about the spirit of the endeavour.”
On Good Friday, Christopher and Cheryl can often be found generously taking time to hear stories of those who have been impacted by the hospital.
As Newstead and District members fundraise for the 15th time this year, they continue to honour the many members of the community who have been impacted by the work of the hospital – including, of course, Christopher and Cheryl.
Make sure you look out for the Newstead CFA and other local CFA collectors across the region this Good Friday, April 3, and give what you can to support the kids.
Or alternatively you can donate online at www.goodfridayappeal.com.au/donate
