Recently through my love of reading I have come across some wonderful Humanitarians who support and promote Charity Awareness daily…which I have found very inspiring!

• Author – Sylvain Reynard has written a must read article about “Why Charity?” On his Blog —> http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2013/05/why-charity.html

• Author – Kat Bastion, who donated all monies from the sales of her Book, “Utterly Loved” and has also written a post on her Blog —> http://talktotheshoe.com/charity-support-and-awareness/

In my line of work as a Nurse I support and am involved in a lot of “Charity Fund Raising Events” –  I get to see both sides of the coin for a lot of Charity Organisations and Causes – such as National Heart Foundation of Australia, Starlight Children’s Foundations Australia, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cancer Council Australia, NBCF Australia, World Vision, Guide Dogs Association, Life Line, Beyond Blue, Meals on Wheels, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Diabetes Australia, MS Society…and the list goes on!

# Some Organisations that have really touched my heart & why?

A few years back I was working with a girl who had just moved up to Queensland from Sydney, and she hadn’t any friends or family to turn to for support…Long story cut short…her nearly 15 yr old son had to have a Heart Transplant and was admitted into the Hospital that I worked in, where he stayed for just over 8 months awaiting a Heart Transplant!!! My son was nearly the same age and my heart went out to him, the courage this young man showed was incredible and I was apart of his journey daily over this time and we all became very close! A year after he had received his New Heart they invited me to attended a ceremony for Donor and Receiver Families….all I can say is it will be etched in my memory forever, it was a very emotional experience!

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In Daniel’s 8 month time in Hospital I got to see and experience how these Organisations work – Organ & Tissue Donation, Heart Foundation, Make-A-Wish & Starlight Children’s Foundation, and how they make a real difference and I can’t praise them enough, they are I just incredible!

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# Organ Donation: 

• Most Australians support organ and tissue donation…
• This wish to help others becomes a reality if Australians learn about organ and tissue donation and make the decision to become a donor. Families also need to know the wishes of the potential donor. This means discussing, understanding and accepting each family member’s decision. If families are aware of their deceased loved one’s decision about organ and tissue donation, they are more likely to give consent for donation.
• Even if you are registered as an organ donor, your family will still be asked to confirm your wishes and give their consent. It’s important that they know your wishes.

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# National Heart Foundation of Australia:

• The Heart Foundation saves lives and improves health through funding world-class cardiovascular research, guidelines for health professionals, informing the public and assisting people with cardiovascular disease.
• While our work over the past five decades has helped reduce the number of deaths, cardiovascular disease (heart, stroke and blood vessel disease) remains one of Australia’s most devastating health problems.

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# Make-A-Wish Australia:

• Grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

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# Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia:

• Starlight provides programs integral to the total care of seriously ill children – while health professionals focus on treating the illness, Starlight is there to lift the spirits of the child, giving them the opportunity to laugh, play and be a child again
• Two decades of children’s laughter: Since being formed as an Australian children’s charity in 1988, the Starlight Children’s Foundation has brightened the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children, and their families, throughout Australia.
• About Starlight: Living with illness or injury can cause enormous strain in the lives of children and their families. The pain, loneliness and isolation that sick children feel dominates their lives, and they often miss out on normal experiences that healthy children take for granted.

# Rosie’s Street Van:

• Rosies aims to provide something intangible, we offer a range of services to our patrons, all with the aim of creating a sense of ‘home’ in different places. We aim to be present with people, offering them times of unconditional belonging.
• Rosies’ most visible outreach is our street van. We operate street vans which offer tea, coffee, Milo and a friendly ear in all our locations: Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, Logan/Beenleigh, Cairns, and Warwick. Most of our volunteers work with the street van, spending time with people who are homeless and often also houseless.
• Rosies mission is to offer times of presence with others through street outreach, children’s and drug court support, youth detention visitation, and prison outreach.

I love Animals ….they give unconditional love and I think we Humans have a lot to learn from them!