Tiny and Mighty Café Brings Comfort to Families The Royal North Shore’s neonatal intensive care unit recently launched the Tiny and Mighty Café for parents of babies who need specialised care. It’s a tiny gesture that goes a long way to comfort families with sick newborns.
“Being at the NICU can be one of the hardest times of parents’ lives. It’s good we can do a small part to help them,” he said.
In collaboration with Northbridge Rotary, the café now provides free breakfast items, drinks, and snacks to NICU families. The name of the café, Tiny and Mighty Café, was chosen through a voting system where NICU parents selected their favourite name. RNSH NICU Nurse Manager Claire Blackburn, who led the initiative, was proud of the response. “An overwhelming number voted for the Tiny and Mighty Café,” said Claire. A NICU graduate mum also designed the café’s logo, adding a personal and meaningful touch. To ensure continued support, Northbridge Rotary will deliver snacks to parents on a fortnightly basis and has secured donations from local businesses. Peter Russel, President of the Northbridge Rotary Club said that the community had been eager to support the families at RNSH.
Planetary health in focus at Climate Action Week Sydney Climate Action Week Sydney was recently celebrated across the district, with film screenings and panel discussions taking place to educate and provide a forum for staff to share their ideas. curricula. At Hornsby Hospital, the discussion The planetary health team hosted a film screening and panel discussion at Hornsby Hospital, which was chaired by General Manager Simon Hill (far right)
Northbridge Rotary Club, parents and staff from the NICU stand with the new sign
highlighted how the haemodialysis unit is recycling water to minimise waste, along with ongoing efforts to reduce supply chain emissions through collaboration with suppliers. Acting Planetary Health Manager Dr Toby Bankole said the week was a great opportunity for staff to showcase their work and get involved in planetary health initiatives. “This was the first time our district celebrated Climate Action Week Sydney and it was a fantastic opportunity to showcase key projects that are contributing to our journey to net zero, which we encourage all staff to be part of,” he said. One simple action all staff can take this Climate Action Week is to complete a short survey to help the district understand the collective knowledge of planetary health and environmental sustainability. The survey should take only four minutes to complete and can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/ planetary-health-survey-2025.
Royal North Shore and Hornsby hospitals hosted two special film screenings from the Global Climate and Health Alliance, who collaborated with BBC StoryWorks to produce “The Climate and Us,” a series of short films exploring how climate change impacts health and wellbeing worldwide. The screenings were followed by panel discussions where staff were able to share updates on locally-led initiatives they are working on that are helping the district become more environmentally sustainable. At Royal North Shore Hospital, the focus was on improving sustainability in asthma care by educating GPs and patients about low- carbon inhaler options and trialling an inhaler recycling program. The discussion also covered the rise of climate doctors as an emerging health profession and how universities are embedding planetary health in medical
Honouring Bodhi at Sydney Mardi Gras Bodhi, a valued friend and patient of the Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice (AYAH), was known for his strong advocacy for accessibility and inclusion.
From a young age, Bodhi campaigned for positive change, including writing to Prince Harry about the need for an accessible lift on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. As his health declined, the staff at AYAH had the honour of helping Bodhi fulfil his end- of-life wishes, including participating in the 2024 Sydney Mardi Gras. Before he passed, he had one final request: for AYAH to march again in his memory. This year, AYAH staff members, volunteers and Bodhi’s family proudly joined People with Disability Australia (PWDA) in the Sydney Mardi Gras parade, carrying signs and symbols to honour Bodhi’s legacy. Marching alongside PWDA, the group carried signs and symbols reflecting Bodhi’s commitment to inclusivity and advocacy. Many participants reflected on their previous interactions with Bodhi. A local business, Sydney DPS, provided large-scale Remembering Bodhi signs for the event.
AYAH staff, friends and family marching with their Remembering Bodhi signs
SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS Share your news and achievements. Contact the Media and Communications team on 9463 1722 or email NSLHD-media@health.nsw.gov.au to submit your news.
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NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 4| 14 MARCH 2025
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