Message from the Chair
As you can see in this newsletter, ROMAC is now well and truly back in operation after the Covid hiatus.
We are currently supporting the treatment of seven children across New Zealand and Australia and almost everything is progressing very well. Unfortunately this business is very high risk so, very occasionally, things don’t turn out as hoped.
A recent example was a 5-month-old boy born with a growth in his stomach that started grow rapidly. After accepting the child as a ROMAC patient and organising his treatment at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, delays outside our control, obtaining his passport and consequently, a visa, saw him die before he could leave his country. This sort of outcome is extremely disappointing and upsetting for the family and also, for our ROMAC volunteers who have been organising departure, hosting and treatment.
On a brighter note, it was great to see so many people visit our ROMAC Information Booth at the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne. Many thanks to Maggie Alexander for designing and producing the display and to Minh Nguyen for setting it up and organising the roster of ROMAC volunteers who serviced the Booth, whom we also thank. Many of our ROMAC supporters from across Zone 8 have visited our Booth as well as many International visitors, who wish they had a similar Rotary program in their countries.
Other interesting visitors to our Booth included past ROMAC Chair Brendan Porter and some of our partners from the Rotary Clubs in our patients' home countries who provide incredible support with all the pre-departures requirements. One such visitor was Lawrence Fatiaki, President-Elect from the Rotary Club of Honiara. Lawrence expressed his commitment to ROMAC and to supporting our long-time and outstanding ROMAC champion in RC Honiara, PDG Wayne Morris.
As our Rotary year comes to an end, one last plea for donations from any Clubs that might find they have a surplus of funds for the year. Please support us to continue to help children in such need.
Yours in Rotary
Ian D'Arcy Walsh
We are currently supporting the treatment of seven children across New Zealand and Australia and almost everything is progressing very well. Unfortunately this business is very high risk so, very occasionally, things don’t turn out as hoped.
A recent example was a 5-month-old boy born with a growth in his stomach that started grow rapidly. After accepting the child as a ROMAC patient and organising his treatment at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, delays outside our control, obtaining his passport and consequently, a visa, saw him die before he could leave his country. This sort of outcome is extremely disappointing and upsetting for the family and also, for our ROMAC volunteers who have been organising departure, hosting and treatment.
On a brighter note, it was great to see so many people visit our ROMAC Information Booth at the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne. Many thanks to Maggie Alexander for designing and producing the display and to Minh Nguyen for setting it up and organising the roster of ROMAC volunteers who serviced the Booth, whom we also thank. Many of our ROMAC supporters from across Zone 8 have visited our Booth as well as many International visitors, who wish they had a similar Rotary program in their countries.
Other interesting visitors to our Booth included past ROMAC Chair Brendan Porter and some of our partners from the Rotary Clubs in our patients' home countries who provide incredible support with all the pre-departures requirements. One such visitor was Lawrence Fatiaki, President-Elect from the Rotary Club of Honiara. Lawrence expressed his commitment to ROMAC and to supporting our long-time and outstanding ROMAC champion in RC Honiara, PDG Wayne Morris.
As our Rotary year comes to an end, one last plea for donations from any Clubs that might find they have a surplus of funds for the year. Please support us to continue to help children in such need.
Yours in Rotary
Ian D'Arcy Walsh
