In some wholesome news for your Thursday, the McKellar Centre has opened a new state-of-the-art facility aimed at supporting local kids recovering from injury or learning to live with a disability.
A $3.6m state-of-the-art paediatric rehabilitation facility at the McKellar Centre in North Geelong has officially opened this month, making the dreams of sick and injured children across the region a reality.
Bendigo Bank House, the new home to McKellar Kids’ Rehab, was funded entirely by the Barwon Health Foundation Kids Appeal through community and business donations, raising more than three million dollars to bring the facility to life.
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In 2016, the volunteers of Our Women Our Children saw a need to support the community with a major project for local kids recovering from injury, or learning to live with a disability. What started with the concept of a therapy garden, grew and blossomed over time into this state-of-the-art facility that features a rehabilitation gym, therapy kitchen and child-friendly treatment rooms.
The Barwon Health Foundation was the driving force for the Kids Appeal, rallying such amazing support across the community since the appeal began in 2017. Last year, the incredible team at Bendigo Bank donated upwards of half a million dollars to fund the completion of this important, purpose-built space – bringing the $3.6 million vision to life.
In recognition of the generous contribution, the building in which the life-changing service now operates, will be affectionately known as Bendigo Bank House.
Here the Kids’ Rehabilitation Centre will be home to the Barwon Health-operated Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS) and Young Adults Transition Service (YATS), providing a purpose-built space for young people aged 0-25 who have sustained a traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, stroke or who require treatment after cancer or for other conditions such as cerebral palsy, supporting them to reach their full potential.
The Centre, designed by kids for kids, will support families in a purpose-built space that will include a rehabilitation gym, therapy kitchen, outdoor therapy garden and family-friendly treatment rooms.
Until now, children have been receiving rehabilitation alongside adults in shared spaces but now, thanks to the local community, these brave and resilient children have a facility all of their own.
Bendigo Bank House has now welcomed its first patients, and their delighted parents and carers and will genuinely help improve local kids’ quality of life.
You can read more here.
