The Impact of what CHF does for the Children of Ireland
Childhood illness in all its forms is persistent, indiscriminate, and often devastating. As many of the children that pass through the doors of the Children’s Health Ireland sites every day have rare and complex conditions that are life-limiting or life-threatening, Children’s Health Foundation know all too well that the burden of disease can have a significant impact on a child and their family.
CHF is the largest fundraising charity in Ireland supporting sick children. From the delivery of cutting-edge treatment and technologies to the refurbishment of critical hospital facilities, we are committed to caring for those children who are most in need.
In 2019 Crumlin Hospital and Temple Street children’s hospital came together to become Children’s Health Foundation, a single unified foundation working to support sick children and their families. Together with urgent care centres Tallaght and Connolly Hospitals CHF are the largest fund-raising charity supporting sick children all over Ireland.
Donate or fundraise for PGLMA’s campaign to buy an OCT machine for Children’s Hospitals. Your support can diagnose and monitor eye conditions, providing essential care to children. Every contribution counts towards raising €97,000 to bring life-changing equipment to our community.
The Equipment – Cost €95,325
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging test. OCT uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of the retina. It is not painful or difficult and can be completed in a few seconds.
The OCT device we are currently using is over 10 years old and OCT technology has developed since the device was originally purchased. As a result of technological advancements this device is not fit for purpose. This is becoming more and more essential, especially since the expansion of the Neurosurgery department in CHI Temple Street. Currently, the hospital is sending, on average, 10 children per month to the Mater Private at a cost of €140 per scan, due to this issue.
This new device will also be used to treat children with glaucoma and other optic nerve conditions such as hereditary optic neuropathies. It could be utilised by other units for the following diseases:
- Retinopathy of Prematurity
- Non-accidental Injury and trauma
- Retinal dystrophies, dysplasia’s, and infantile nystagmus
- Ocular oncology e.g., retinoblastoma and optic nerve gliomas
