Coles Supermarkets are again raising funds via the Curing Homesickness appeal. Curing Homesickness is a national initiative which raises funds to support children’s hospitals, foundations, and paediatric services. Funds raised until Tuesday, 28 March at Coles supermarkets in the Hunter and New England region will help John Hunter Children’s Hospital.
Funds raised will help John Hunter Children’s Hospital fund an at-home sleep assessment program for kids with sleep disorders, like 10-year-old Koby Adams. Koby (pictured above with the Coles Supermarket team) was born with a rare and complex condition known as Zellweger Spectrum Disorder – which affects his breathing during sleep and requires Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy to support his airway at night. As a result of his condition, Koby has spent much of his young life attending hospital appointments and undergoing numerous tests and procedures, including regular sleep studies at John Hunter Children’s Hospital to monitor his breathing,
oxygenation and sleeping patterns.
Koby’s mother Ashlyn said a visit to the Sleep Clinic has always involved an overnight stay in
hospital with a number of cumbersome sensors attached to Koby’s head and body.
“Koby’s condition means that he is very sensitive to touch and changes to his environment
and routine, which makes these regular visits to hospital very stressful for him and our family,”
she said.
“Ever since the Sleep Unit developed a new at-home sleep system that Koby could use from
the comfort of his own bed, it’s taken the stress and anxiety out of a hospital visit.
“The remote sleep monitoring system allows Koby to complete testing quickly and have his
CPAP adjusted without having to wait for a hospital bed, while allowing the hospital team to
closely monitor his progress remotely.”
Shoppers can support the initiative by purchasing a $2 donation card at the checkout or by making a donation of their choice at a Coles supermarket or via Coles Online. Additionally, customers can pick up a specially marked Mum’s Sause pasta or pizza sauce, with fifty cents from each product sold year-round going to the cause.
