DISTRACTING tiny patients while they undergo stressful treatments is the most likely benefit of donations from two local businesses.
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Port Macquarie Base Hospital’s paediatrics ward plans to use last week’s $2150 donation to buy a projector, which will splash colourful pictures and play music while children endure treatments for a range of medical issues.
The Town Green Inn and Caltex petrol station on Hastings River Drive donated $1000 and $1150 respectively to the ward.
Nursing unit manager Cheryl Nolte welcomed the funding boost, saying distraction therapy via the projector would be yet another addition to the ward made possible by our generous community.
“We’ve got an amazingly generous community, but we go through a lot of toys, crayons, pencils and so on, so donations are always most appreciated,” Mrs Nolte said.
The ward strives to pinpoint an item it will buy with each donation.
Caltex manager Matthew Pettiford has donated money annually from customers placing cash in a tin on the petrol station’s counter for the last five years.
“We started with $135 and it’s grown from there,” Mr Pettiford said.
The manager’s six-year-old daughter Justice-Lee had her tonsils removed in the ward last year, so the cause is close to his heart.
TGI’s manager Charlie Redmond said the money was raised through the restaurant’s Christmas Toy Raffle.
It is the second year Mr Redmond has donated funds raised to the children’s ward.
“We wanted the money to go towards a cause that symbolises the meaning of Christmas,” he said.
Raffle winners donated toys worth hundreds of dollars back to the restaurant, which will be given to the ward.