I am SO glad that our wonderful little foundation was set up to be as flexible as possible – so that we could instantly provide help where it was needed and when it was needed – and the importance of that philosophy was confirmed for me this morning.

I received a call for help from a nurse at a Victorian Hospital. One of the children that we have helped in the past is in the final few days of his life. He is being cared for at home by his mum. A Victorian government program has been funding some in-home nursing care during the night so that mum is able to get some much needed sleep. She is exhausted and devastated. She has two other children to guide through this time too.

Her precious little boy is now unconscious and sedated but is a fighter and has hung on longer than expected already. Today she received the news that her funding allowance for overnight nursing care has run out and that no more nurses will be sent to help.

Her only options now are to take her little man to hospital or to the Very Special Kids Hospice to see out his final days. But the family wants him to spend his final days at home, surrounded by his family, and in the comforting surrounds of everything that is familiar to him. It’s not a lot to ask.

I was asked if we would fund nursing care so that he could stay at home, and so that mum could continue to be supported during this terrible time. I simply said YES. No application forms, no lengthy approval process, no waiting period, no red tape of any kind. Just a simple YES.

It’s what we do. It’s what we are here for. And it’s all made possible thanks to YOU and YOUR generosity. So an extra special thank you to all of you this week, from me and from this wonderful little boy’s family who have just had a great burden lifted in their absolute hour of need.

It has crystallised for me the need to have a reserve of funds on hand for just this occasion. I’ll now be on the lookout for a business that would like to take on this challenge. In the last 6 months we’ve spent almost $20,000 on emergency nursing care for children at home. I’m estimating that we’ll need $50,000 per annum – more as the program grows – and there’ll be program naming rights on offer for any major donor that wants to take up the option of funding this critical program. If you know of a company that might be interested, please email me at barb @ igab.org.au

If you’d like to personally help us to create this reserve of funds, you can make a general donation .

Australian children’s charity I Give A Buck Foundation of Australia Ltd assists children from disadvantaged families who also suffer from a life-threatening or life-altering illness or condition – with particular focus on terminally ill children.