The Children's Hospital at Westmead

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The Children's Hospital at Westmead

The Children's Hospital at Westmead is the largest paediatric centre for care and treatment in NSW, providing specialised treatment to sick children.
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Social Media Policy

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead’s social media accounts are aligned with the Hospital’s key values and are focused on engaging audiences in conveying health messages and information regarding activities (including entertainment) as well as for fundraising purposes. We welcome and encourage our followers to engage with this page and content we share through open discussion,

questions and feedback but ask that posts by users are relevant and respectful. Content on this page is monitored by The Children’s Hospital at Westmead staff, and we reserve the right to remove posts that are:

• Offensive, divisive, aggressive, abusive, defamatory or intolerant
• Fraudulent, deceptive, misleading or unlawful
• Trolling, or deliberately derailing discussions
• Off-topic or business-related
• Violates the intellectual property right of another individual or entity
• Spamming in nature
• Commercial solicitation or solicitation of donations
• Uses obscene or offensive language

For further details, please read The Children’s Hospital at Westmead’s social media policy. Available athttp://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/_policies/pdf/2015-9000.pdf

04/05/2026

MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU 🌠

Today, our hospital halls turned into a galaxy far, far away.

This young Jedi showed off his very own handmade lightsaber.

01/05/2026

MYTH: "Vaccines aren't safe and aren't properly tested."
It's a common concern we hear and it's important to talk about it openly.

Dr Emma Goeman, Infectious Diseases Physician at Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, explains how vaccines are rigorously tested, closely monitored, and safely used in Australia.

Before a vaccine is approved, it goes through:
- years of clinical trials
- strict, independent evaluation
- ongoing safety monitoring once in use

Rare side effects can occur, but these are carefully tracked, transparently reported, and openly shared. What vaccines do incredibly well is protect children from serious illness and serious complications.

This World Immunisation Week, we're sharing the facts to help you feel informed and confident.

30/04/2026

MYTH: "There's no point getting vaccinated because kids can still contract viruses like influenza, and still get sick."

This is a common concern we hear from families.

And it’s true. Children can still get illnesses like the flu even after vaccination.

But here’s what vaccines do incredibly well: they dramatically reduce how severe that illness can be.

That means a lower risk of:
- hospitalisation
- intensive care admission
- long-term impacts
- death

Vaccination helps protect your child from the worst outcomes, and that’s what matters most.

This World Immunisation week, its a good time to make sure your child is protected.

Don't wait - get vaccinated for influenza today.

28/04/2026

‘My Rehab Zone’, a one-stop shop for rehabilitation therapy, opened on level 1 last week thanks to Emerald Ball donors and sponsors, and Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation.

The state-of-the-art facility is equipped with world class technology that helps children with various complex needs recover one step at a time.

Watch Channel 7 story below.

24/04/2026

Influenza (flu) isn’t just a bad cold - it can cause serious illness in children. The good news? Vaccination offers strong protection.

A new nasal spray vaccine is now available in NSW for children aged 2, 3 and 4, free under the NSW Health Immunisation Program. It’s quick, gentle and needle-free.

Injectable flu vaccines are also available to help protect the whole family.

Don’t wait. Get vaccinated today.

23/04/2026

A game-changing new rehab centre has opened on level 1 of our hospital!

Fitted with advanced technology from robotics to augmentative and alternative communication devices, ‘My Rehab Zone’ is carefully designed to deliver intensive, goal-directed therapy, using world-class technology to support mobility, ommunication, and motor development for children like Adeesha.

After suffering a sudden stroke last year, Adeesha lost mobility to the right side of his body. Currently undergoing an intensive rehabilitation program with the Kids Rehab team, Adeesha was the first to receive therapy in My Rehab Zone and the first to use the Zero G. The robotic body-weight support system helps him practice walking independently and find his balance in a reduced-gravity environment.

Adeesha’s mum, Sankika, says, “The state-of-the-art technology really makes a difference. I noticed this when Adeesha was playing with the adaptive gaming equipment to exercise his hand and wrist. Rather than doing wrist exercises which can become repetitive and quite boring, Adeesha was having fun playing games while also exercising his wrist at the same time."

Thank you to our Emerald Ball donors and sponsors and Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation, whose years of philanthropic support have made this all possible.

Check out the new space below 👇

20/04/2026

Ever feel like every day is the same? But what if elephants were teapots and teacups, pens danced under a disco ball, and capsicum screamed?

Over 100 creative entries from staff, patients, families switched up the everyday with unmatched imagination as part of the annual Art of the Everyday competition.

The overall winner was Katie Park who created a self portrait of herself and her cat, Sugar, after re-learning how to draw with her non-dominant hand.

The competition is part of the Adolescent Medicine Youth Arts program, a service dedicated to allowing young people to embrace their creative side along medical treatment.

The exhibition is live on Level 1, Banksia Building, Children's Hospital Westmead until July 2026!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

17/04/2026

CHAMPIONS4CHILDREN / Olivia Halliday is a Registered Music Therapist who works with patients with cancer 🎵

“On an average day, I carry around lots of musical instruments, play music, and get patients involved in playing music as well. Beneath the surface, what I am really doing is reducing distress and perception of pain through music, aiding relaxation, and providing coping mechanisms for patients and families during challenging hospital stays. I also assess patients’ overall development and mental health and tailor my music therapy sessions to address these targeted goals.

I love connecting with children and young people and love doing that through music because they’re naturally expressive, honest and open. It makes me feel like I can be more myself around children as well.

The best part about what I do is being able to create moments of light and levity during incredibly dark times for families and seeing parents realise that they can still create joyful moments with their child during cancer treatment. It’s incredibly rewarding when parents tell me after a music therapy session that it was the first time their child had smiled or engaged with anyone in a long time.

I wouldn’t be doing what I do without the funding from that supports my role in Oncology.”

16/04/2026

High-fives flying 🙌
Cameras clicking 📸
Wide eyes everywhere 👀
Face paint on 🎨
Games in play 🎮
Therapy dogs passing through 🐶
Crafts, treats, laughter on loop 🍭
one yellow sponge taking over the Holiday Fun Fair 🎡
Big thanks to the crew!

15/04/2026

After more than 15 surgeries at just 13 months old, Alana is determined, resilient, and funny.

Born with a rare condition where the oesophagus was disconnected from her stomach, Alana has been in hospital since birth. Just three months after her oesophagus was repaired, she faced another challenge, a twist in her small bowel, leaving her with a short gut, which affects her digestive system.

“She’s had multiple surgeries, more than fifteen, spent six months in Newborn and Paediatric Intensive Care Units, but she’s made it now and she’s better thanks to all the positivity from the doctors and therapists”, says mum, Angele.

Music Therapist, Roxanne, has been there from the start, bringing music to help soothe, calm, and settle Alana but also her parents too. Today, their sessions focus on helping Alana reach her developmental goals.

For Alana’s family, whose first language is French, music has also created a powerful connection. “The beauty of music is that it’s universal,” says Roxanne. “We’ve been able to connect through songs that cross cultures and
languages.”

Alana’s journey is just one of many that show the powerful, positive impact of music therapy 🎶🎸

09/04/2026

“No two days are ever the same as a social worker in the neuromuscular and spina bifida team and that’s what makes the role so meaningful.

My work spans both inpatient and outpatient settings, where each day can involve psychosocial assessments, counselling, advocacy, resource coordination and providing trauma and crisis support. It’s a multifaceted role – we adapt constantly, often shifting between responsibilities within moments, to meet the needs of each child and their family.

In outpatient settings especially, much of our work happens behind the scenes. We piece together information to help ensure the care provided and the decisions made fit within each family’s broader life beyond the hospital. It’s about understanding the full picture: their circumstances, supports, challenges and what matters most to them.

Working closely within a multidisciplinary team is central to this. We learn so much from different areas of expertise and this collaboration helps us provide more holistic, thoughtful care for every family we support.

It is a privilege to see the difference this support can make and to witness families rise above hardship with such strength and grace. The resilience of children never fails to inspire me.” - Sarah Malloy, Social Worker, Neuromuscular & Spina Bifida

07/04/2026

Surgeries can be stressful for children and their families.

That’s why every detail in the new perioperative suite at our hospital has been designed to make a journey calmer and more comfortable.

With innovative technology, digital operating theatres and co-located facilities, our incredible staff can work even more closely and efficiently together.

Marking ‘World Paediatric Surgery Day’ today, take a sneaky first look at the new purpose-built suite, set to open in the coming weeks!

Address

Cnr Hawkesbury Road And Hainsworth St
Greystanes, NSW
2145

Website

http://schn.health.nsw.gov.au/

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