Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation

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Little Hearts

Little Hearts is an exciting new initiative of the Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation. It is run with a dedicated group of parents of children with chronic heart conditions, who have had long stays at the Children’s Hospital Westmead, in the PICU, Grace and Edgar Stephens wards.
Little Hearts goal is to:
  • provide a range of supports to families of children with CHD who require ongoing surgery, hospitalization and/or who have a palliative diagnosis
  • provide a support network for families who have lost a child to CHD and
  • provide support to families who have recieved an antenatal diagnosis of CHD.
Our main aim is to make the difficult times that heart families endure a little bit easier – by providing direct support and connection to a network of other families who may have a similar experience.
Congenital Heart Disease at Children’s Hospital Westmead.
Each year the Children’s Hospital Westmead treats over 4500 babies, children and young people with CHD. Many of these children do not live close to the hospital and come from regional, remote and surrounding areas in NSW and the ACT, some have even further journeys with some children traveling from different countries. The Edgar Stephens ward is the heart ward at the hospital where many of these children and ongoing treatment and recover from large surgeries. Whilst there are treatments for CHD, there is no cure. Each week in Australia we lose four lives to CHD.
Home away from home
For many children and families, the Edgar Stephens (Heart Ward) at the Children’s Hospital Westmead is their home away from home. Often children come to the ward, after having large open-heart surgeries or significant heart complications. Sometimes children stay at the ward for many months.
Being a hospital family is tough. There is often so much pain, uncertainty and stress with having a child with a severe or critical diagnosis in hospital. Many children face very tough health journeys and face multiple surgeries and medical interventions.
Meanwhile, life goes on and families still have to work out how to juggle competing priorities – other children, relationships, running households and paying bills.
Most people think there is a massive support network around long-term hospital families, but the reality is very different. A parent usually stays on the ward to be close to their sick child. They have often come to the hospital in an emergency – if they are lucky with an overnight bag. They have the concern of other family priorities (sometimes the high cost of relocating other children to nearby accommodation). The hospital is not able to provide meals for parents and one of the most difficult things that parents struggle with is providing themselves with basic essentials, such as meals and toiletries.
Families also struggle to find the means to celebrate and mark special events and milestones – which is such an important thing to do for all children but especially important when you may not know your child’s future.
Our Angels
Sadly, every week, four children in Australia will lose their battle with CHD. These children are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters – they have often showed us so much bravery during their lives, they are so loved and so intensely missed by their family and loved ones. We will never forget the place they have in our hearts and community.
What we want to do in our first 12 months
For our High Care Families
In the next 12 months we aim to:
  • Provide vouchers for food, petrol, and other necessities directly through the Edgar Stephens ward to families with children who have a severe CHD or complex medical diagnosis who are struggling financially
  • Raise funds to provide small grants for heart families who require assistance with household bills, crisis accommodation, medical supplies and more
  • Provide a variety of supports for families with a child who has a palliative diagnosis
  • Explore opportunities to provide meals on the ward for parents such as fresh food and freezer meal sponsorship
  • Set up ongoing friendship and support for families who are regularly in and out of hospital and have children who have a high care or palliative diagnosis.
  • Organize family events, outside of hospital, in Canberra and Sydney to help families build on their support networks.
For our Heart Angel Families
In the next 12 months we aim to establish:
  • An advisory group of angel parents to help us to decide the best way to honour and remember children who have sadly passed away from CHD
  • A memorial beads program – with new beads available for special dates such as birthdays each year until our heart angels turn 18 and graduate from the program
  • An online support group administered by heart angel parents.
For our Hospital Community
The hospital relies on the generosity of donations to make it a special place for very sick children. We have a wish list of things that can make life more comfortable for children and families to live a hospital life.
The wish list includes things such as: new parent beds to ensure parents can stay by their children’s bedside, in kind donations such as entertainment, toys, baby wraps, blankets and zippies, and equipment that can make it easier for families to get out of the ward. These will be sourced by individual fundraising events and drives. A call for assistance and needs of families will be updated on our Facebook site. https://www.facebook.com/littleheartsaustralia/

How you can help

Little Hearts is relies on the kindness of donations from our community. All donations will be provided directly to families in significant need.  There are a few ways you can help us.

You can:

  • Provide a tax deductible donation for small grants for heart families who require assistance with household bills, crisis accommodation, medical supplies and more.
  • Donate vouchers for food, petrol, and other necessities
  • Provide a tax deductible donation to enable us to set up support programs for our families with heart angels
  • Get in contact if you have any other ideas
    Join us on Facebook @littleheartsaustralia

How to donate:
You can donate directly by bank deposit to:
Name: Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation
BSB: 633000
Account Number: 160854121
Reference: Your name

By PayPal
PayPal email:littleheartshq@gmail.com
Please let us know if you would like a receipt for your tax purposes.

Contact us

We’d love to hear from you – if you have ideas or would like to help out any in way. 
You can email us at littleheartshq@gmail.com or phone Mel Clode on 0419 694 517.

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Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation

2 days ago

Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation
⭐️We are so close⭐️ to getting the chance to be a part of this very special fundraising event. We need some extra votes before midnight tomorrow to help us over the line.❤️Please vote for us here givingheroes.com.au/voteforcauseand help us to keep supporting sick kids in Canberra and beyond ❤️If you know a young person who would love to become a Giving Hero, register here givingheroes.com.au/signupThank you for your support xxx ... See MoreSee Less
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Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation

3 days ago

Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation
We are so, so proud of our little mate Beau who is the worlds youngest Wheelchair Rugby coach! What an incredible feat from such a super cool and awesome fellow. Good on you Beau! What a star 🌟 ... See MoreSee Less
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Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation

6 days ago

Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation
Please vote for us this weekend (and share this with your friends) to help us continue to brighten the lives of seriously ill children in Canberra and beyond! ⭐️We are so excited that Stella Bella Foundation has been selected to be a Giving Hero finalist but we need your help!Giving Heroes by The Funding Network Australia is all about kidshelping kids, connecting children with causes thatsupport other children and empowering them to beyoung change makers.We are in the final six but need your votes by May 18 sowe can be one of the lucky final three charities to pitch atthe Giving Heroes Virtual event in June. Any young person can be a Giving Hero and have their say! Please vote for us at givingheroes.com.au/voteforcause.Find out more here givingheroes.com.au/Huge thanks to Ruby Tunks-Frawley for making the video all by herself ❤️ youtu.be/4Xm2phYRH4YThank you for doing your little bit to help make big things happen for seriously ill kids xxx ... See MoreSee Less

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Giving Heroes : Make a donation today to support Giving Heroes
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Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation

2 weeks ago

Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation
I started my Mother’s Day with an amazing breakfast buffet made by my eldest daughters, and presents and a lovely handmade card from my littlest daughter, so I feel lucky even though my angel daughter is far, far away and forever out of my reach.Mother’s Day means so many different things to everyone and it can bring joy and happiness, togetherness and love, but also deep yearning and sadness, for mums and children no longer here, for babies that never came, for families that have changed.There are struggles of all kinds in Motherhood, especially when caring for a child with a chronic medical condition or a disability, but being a Mum also comes with immense love and moments of unmatchable joy, and so today wherever you are and whatever Mother’s Day means to you, I hope your day comes with some kindness and calm, and hopefully some chocolate too, if only from you to you, because you make the world go round and you deserve a treat ❤️Happy Mother’s Day xxx ... See MoreSee Less
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Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation

3 weeks ago

Stella Bella Little Stars Foundation
Last Sunday, one of the brightest stars of the Stella Bella Foundation, Richard Lockett, passed away and shock and sadness fell upon all who knew and loved him, including me.Richard was one of the kindest, warmest and most generous fellows I have ever met and his joy of life was truly enviable. The oldest patient in Australia with his heart condition, Richard devoted an amazing lot of his time and energy to support and inspire children and adults with Congenital Heart Disease, and other chronic medical conditions too.I met him, and his lovely wife Rhianna, at our very first Stella Bella ball and he organised a table and came to every ball after that. He always came to help set up the hall for the big night and stayed to pack down too. He even braved our Lip Sync Battle to help us to raise funds for sick kids when Covid came and stopped our in person events. He was so proud to speak on stage, to share his journey and to share his scar with all of the guests too!He was so honoured to become an ambassador for Heartkids in recent years and to share the story of his heart journey with their families. Having a child born with a chronic heart condition is very scary and meeting someone like Richard can fill you with hope that your little one can grow up to have a wonderful and fulfilling life too. I know Richard gave that gift to many parents and he also helped adults with CHD to find and support each other through the tough times too.I did a walk and talk with him in November and he was so full of plans for the future. He wanted to build on his efforts to find ways to connect children and adults with CHD across the country to help them to be more supported. He just had to get through his next big heart surgery in December, and the recovery, and then start working towards making those dreams come true. The surgery went really well and he was fit and feeling great and was getting out and about living his best life again and then suddenly he was gone.Richard was a lovely man with a huge kind heart and he will be remembered by so many for his enthusiasm for life, his gentle, generous and caring nature, for his dedication to supporting others with CHD, his positivity, his fav football team, his beers on the weekend, his nights out partying with his second favourite band - 5150, him being the absolute number 1 fan of Jimmy Barnes but most of all of him being so devoted to his loving family, his friends and to his wonderful and so beloved wife, Rhianna.Those who knew him will all agree that the stars will all shine a little brighter now that he has joined them ⭐️Bless you Richard and thank you for being you, you will be missed xxx ... See MoreSee Less
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