Toowoomba local Venessa Cronin shaved her golden locks on Friday 16 March to raise money for the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation oncology ward at the Base Hospital. Through her efforts, Venessa raised more than $5300 for the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation, which raises much needed funds to support the Toowoomba Hospital, Baille Henderson Hospital and Mt Lofty Heights Nursing Home. These funds go towards life saving equipment and resources, staff development, research, and scholarships.

Since its inception in 1993, the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation has raised more than $9 million for local health services, significantly impacting the lives of staff, patients, and their families. Venessa explained, “As a mother of two and member of this beautiful community, we rely on the medical facilities in Toowoomba. Like so many, cancer has touched the lives of my family and close friends. Raising money for the oncology ward in Toowoomba, I believe, is a way to support our community so that our friends and family receive the care they need to get them through these hard times.” The team at the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation said that they were proud of Venessa and her efforts, and were looking forward to utilising the funds to support cancer patients in the region.

This year, the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation will be celebrating 27 years of service to the community. The foundation began as a voluntary in-house committee but has since grown to become one of the region’s most recognised and supported charities. The foundation has funded an abundance of healthcare equipment designed to improve the treatment of hospital patients in the surrounding region. For instance, the Toowoomba Hospital was recently gifted four new Lifepak express defibrillators, valued at approximately $1500 each, which provide a life-saving electrical impulse to the heart in the event of cardiac arrest, before professional medical assistance arrives.

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