A group of high-profile Sydney women have used their influence to help make advancements in women’s healthcare, with their sights set on providing Australia’s first neonatal MRI machine.
Women have become the driving force of charitable giving in Australia, and for Sydney Hotelier Harriet Waugh this issue is personal.
“After spending four months at The Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney following the premature birth of my first child, I was inspired to help other families experiencing high-risk and complicated pregnancies,” Waugh said.
She, along with Deborah Symond O’Neil, Madeline Holtznagel and this year, Zena Nasser White, are the committee behind the Ladies Luncheon, which has raised $3.5M for the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation since it began in 2016.
Their impact reflects a national trend of women leading the way when it comes to philanthropy. The She Gives report recently found women are already shaping much of Australia’s charitable decision making. In coming decades, they are expected to control the majority of a projected $5.4 trillion wealth transfer.
“Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of women since the Luncheon began, the Foundation has been able to fund cutting-edge technology and innovative care programs for thousands of women and babies. We are excited to now be growing the initiative and our philanthropic impact,” Waugh said.
The Royal Hospital for Women’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is the largest and most specialised in Australia, caring for around 1,000 premature and critically ill babies every year. More than 80 per cent of the equipment inside the unit exists because of philanthropy.
The dedicated neonatal MRI machine will transform care by providing safer, faster and more precise neuroimaging for fragile infants without transporting them to shared adult facilities nearby. Earlier diagnosis of brain injuries and other serious health complications in premature and critically ill babies will enable faster, more accurate specialised care during the very first days of a baby’s life.
The Foundation’s CEO, Elise Jennings, says there is something incredibly powerful about women showing up for other women. The Luncheon is now part of a broader, ambitious phase of philanthropy aimed at transforming the lifelong health of women and newborns.
“As the sole charity for the Royal Hospital for Women, the Foundation’s mission is to transform the lifelong health of women and newborns, to improve health outcomes and drive lasting, systemic change. The community-driven support through the Ladies Luncheon has made an extraordinary difference at The Royal Hospital for Women, supporting access to medical advancements and life-changing care for women and families” she said.
While the luncheon funds equipment rather than research, the committee sees both as critical to closing the women’s health gap. Globally, only 1% of research funding focuses on conditions unique to women.
When the MRI campaign succeeds, an estimated 1,000 premature babies each year will benefit from the urgent, specialist care they need.