Women's and Children's Health Network, North Adelaide (2025)

18/07/2025

The Child and Family Health Service (CaFHS) is now offering After Hours Clinics for Health and Development Checks at our Marion and Elizabeth sites.

Parents like Kajalben and Arpankumar have used these After Hours Clinics to care for their beautiful twins, Veda and Vani, making it easier to fit appointments around their busy schedules.

Appointments are available until 6.15pm, giving families greater flexibility to access care outside of standard business hours. Families requiring an interpreter service are also welcome.

To find out more, call 1300 733 606 or talk to your local CaFHS site.

For more information, visit our website: https://www.cafhs.sa.gov.au/services/health-checks

16/07/2025

Staff across the Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN) came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week to honour culture, connection, and community through various events, including the NAIDOC Ball, our very own NAIDOC Week Grand Round (pictured), the NAIDOC Week March (pictured), and Family Fun Day.

It was wonderful to see everyone showing support for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce. It truly is a privilege to work together and celebrate The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. 🖤💛❤️

15/07/2025

Within his first 24 hours of life, 7-year-old Rylan was diagnosed with a congenital bowel condition called Anorectal Malformation, requiring urgent surgery and a colostomy bag.

Since birth, Rylan has undergone four surgeries to help make daily life easier living with a lifelong bowel condition. He continues to receive ongoing care from our dedicated team at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH), including surgical, stomal therapy, nutrition and psychological support.

Today, Rylan is fearless, energetic and basketball obsessed who loves doing anything and everything outdoors – from shooting hoops, climbing trees and, of course, swinging on the monkey bars.

Rylan’s mum Tamyka says, "The cohesion between specialities at the WCH makes managing Rylan's medical conditions so much easier. When we stay on the wards, we know the nurses and in particular, our stoma team, are so knowledgeable and will help in any way they can."

"Parenting medically complex kids is tough on a good day. Reach out to support groups and foundations. Some of our greatest support has come from other parents with kids like Rylan – they offer guidance, advice or just a listening ear. Knowing you're not alone on this journey can be so comforting."

Thank you to Tamyka and Rylan for sharing your brave and inspiring story 💪

11/07/2025

“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛,” says Amber, (mum to baby Lottie pictured) about the Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN).

Originally from Scotland, Amber welcomed her first baby, Lottie, here in Adelaide, far from her family and support network on the other side of the world.

“Becoming a mother for the first time is such a vulnerable and unnerving time in any woman’s life. It felt even more daunting doing it way from my family.”

Thanks to the care and support from WCHN and Child and Family Health Service (CaFHS), Amber is now thriving as a mum to her adorable Scozzie (Scottish-Aussie) baby, Lottie.

“I had unwavering support from the wonderful CaFHS team at Cowandilla and Lockleys who held my hand as I learned the ropes.”

CaFHS is a safe, inclusive, and free service for all South Australian families, supporting children from birth to five years, and offers health and development checks, feeding support and access to the Parent Helpline.

“The CaFHS team went above and beyond and surrounded me with support in my home and in the community.”

Amber and Lottie are heading back to Scotland next month, where Amber will finally have the chance to introduce her little girl to friends and family.

“I will absolutely be making the most of having plenty of babysitters around. I’m already dreaming of the warm cups of coffee, pram-free shopping trips, and having a couple of naps, just for me!”

To read more about Amber’s journey to motherhood, visit our website: https://www.cafhs.sa.gov.au/news/supporting-new-mums-ambers-story

Thank you to Amber for sharing your story, and to our incredible WCHN and CaFHS teams for making a difference every day. 💙

09/07/2025

𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐮 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝟔 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 - 𝟓 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

Kids like 3 year old Eloise and 11 month old Alexander (pictured) are now able to get their 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝘂 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 thanks to a new initiative making it easier for parents - like Hannah - to access and keep their kids protected as flu cases rise.

Hannah recently took both kids to the GP for their flu shot and plans to visit her local pharmacy for Alexander’s second dose.

New figures are showing that flu cases are soaring with 70% more cases than the same time last year and only 1 in every 5 child currently vaccinated in SA.

“I think this new program will offer parents so much more convenience”, says Hannah.

Call your local pharmacy ahead of time to confirm availability, and to learn more, visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/kidsflu

07/07/2025

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚" - Enzo.

13 year old Enzo lives with Progeria, a rare condition that causes rapid ageing. His family feared the worst when he arrived at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) in late March with severe chest pain where it was discovered his heart was failing. Standard treatments weren’t an option due to his age, size, and condition, but at WCH, giving up was never an option.

WCH paediatric cardiac intensivist Dr Krista Mos (pictured left) quickly identified Enzo’s only hope was a TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation), a procedure normally used for elderly patients. It had never been attempted on someone so young and small or medically complex.

Through extraordinary collaboration, nearly 20 specialists from WCH and Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) came together, including WCH cardiologist Dr Ida Whiteman, anaesthetist Dr Kelly Bratkovic, surgeon Dr Gareth Crouch and Interventional Cardiologist Ajay Sinhal (second from right) to perform this world first procedure.

Enzo spent six hours in surgery at FMC, followed by 17 days in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at WCH. With support from his family, school and church, and even the Adelaide Crows, Enzo made an incredible recovery.

Today, he’s back at school, playing football, fishing, gaming, and cheering on the Adelaide Crows.

We are so inspired by Enzo’s incredible strength – thank you to our team at WCH and FMC for giving Enzo a second chance at life. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you, Enzo 💙

Southern Adelaide Local Health Network - SALHN

01/07/2025

4-year-old Chase was excited to meet South Australian cricket star and Childhood Cancer Association ambassador Liam Scott who stopped by the Michael Rice Centre for Haematology and Oncology. 🏏

Liam is a bowling all-rounder for the South Australian cricket team and spent time chatting with patients and families bringing a welcome distraction.

Chase was especially excited to show off his latest LEGO creations and proudly gave Liam a full rundown of his builds.

Thank you so much to Liam and the Childhood Cancer Association for giving your time and support to the families in our care. 💛

27/06/2025

Rosalie (right) has supported children and families for the past 9 years in her role as a volunteer at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH).

After retiring from a 42-year teaching career, Rosalie wanted to give back especially to children and young people and found a new sense of purpose through volunteering at WCH.

Rosie says “I do feel that I have in some small way helped the parents and children and have made a difference for the better in their day.”

One story that’s stayed with her was meeting a young mum and her son with complex health needs. Their strength, resilience, and love left a lasting impact, and Rosalie was honoured to be invited to celebrate his life after his passing.

Thank you to Rosalie for your warmth and compassion and all our amazing volunteers for all you do. As we continue celebrating 60 Years of Volunteers at WCHN, we’re thrilled to acknowledge the everyday heroes who make a real difference.

To find out more about volunteering at WCHN, visit https://www.wchn.sa.gov.au/get-involved/volunteers

25/06/2025

At 10 days old, Nathaniel was diagnosed with Hirschsprung Disease, a condition affecting the large intestine and causes problems passing stool. He required surgery to create an opening (stoma) in his abdomen which allows waste to be collected in a pouch.

Now, at 13 months, Nathaniel has been stoma-free for over two months, an incredible milestone in his journey!

Nathaniel’s mum Chloe says “His stoma reversalwas successful and within a few days we were having bowel movements. After a week we were sent home and finding our new routine minus the stoma. 3 weeks later we were re-admitted to WCH with poor feeding and weight-loss. We are slowly finding our new rhythm and finding what Nathaniel can tolerate.”

“All of the health professionals we have seen and been treated by have been helpful in providing information and guidance to us in how to maintain and help Nathaniel through his medical journey. The stomal therapy nurses have always been so helpful, friendly and open to answer any questions we might have, no matter how small or left of field.”

“I would advise other parents to always trust your gut, at the end of the day you know your child best, you know if they seem off or unwell. I would also advise asking for second opinions and advocating for your child as at the end of the day a second opinion never hurts.”

Nathaniel is pictured here with our amazing Stomal Therapy Nurses, Georgia, Jaz, and Cassie who care for him at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH).

Thank you, Chloe and Nathaniel, for sharing your journey this .

To learn more about our Stomal Therapy at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, visit https://www.wch.sa.gov.au/patients-visitors/children/surgical-care/stomal-therapy

24/06/2025

Celebrating Dr Chris Pearson! Dr Pearson began his journey at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) in 1971 and has been a paediatrician for more than 50 years.

He helped set up our Department of General Medicine (DGM) and served as Head of Unit until 2011, making a lasting impact on our families and staff.

Dr Pearson recently completed his final full week of ward service and on-call duties on our Adolescent Ward at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) and we made sure he was celebrated!

Lucky for us, he’ll be sticking around a little longer, helping the team with clinics and occasional fill in ward rounds over the next 6 months, before officially retiring.

Thank you, Dr Pearson, for the incredible contributions you’ve made to the WCH and for always showing up with compassion.

19/06/2025

A campfire can stay dangerously hot for up to 8 hours if not put out correctly, even when there’s no smoke or flames.

Alby was just 18 months old when he accidentally stepped onto what looked like an extinguished fire on a family camping trip in the Dampier Peninsula.

Alby’s mum, Danella, says, “children usually understand a burning fire is dangerous, but in Alby’s case there was no smoke or flames, and his little brain couldn’t identify the danger.”

His bare feet sunk into the hot coals, and he sustained significant burns.

This National Burns Awareness Month, Danella wants to share an important message: campfires must be extinguished with water.

The common mistake is covering fires with sand or dirt - this traps the heat for up to 8 hours and turns it into an oven.

“There is not enough education in this space. Campfires need to be put out with water to minimise the risks — and few people know this.” Danella said.

“I hope that by sharing our story, we will help raise awareness around the importance of campfire safety and prevent these sorts of accidents happening in the future.”

For more information, visit www.wch.sa.gov.au/burns

Kidsafe SA

17/06/2025

At 3-days-old, twins Max (left) and Blake had their routine newborn heel-prick test. That test diagnosed Max with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare condition where the body struggles to break down proteins and can cause major health issues without early treatment.

Early detection allowed Max’s family to get the right care immediately.

Mum Hannah says "We cried about it until it kind of realistically hit us and we went, 'You know what, we can manage this. We've caught it early. We could have been in all sorts of dramas for him because it can be pretty serious if left undiagnosed."

In Australia, every baby is offered a newborn bloodspot screening test in the first few days of life, checking for more than 30 rare but treatable health conditions.

Now, the NewbornsInSA study in collaboration with the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, SA Pathology and The University of Adelaide are trialling an expanded screening program to detect over 600 rare but treatable conditions, helping more families like Max’s get answers early and significantly improve health outcomes.

South Australians over 18 are eligible to enrol their baby during pregnancy or within 14 days after birth.

To find out more about the study or to register your interest, go to https://www.wch.sa.gov.au/research/newbornsinsa-research-study

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