An important and effective Australian Rotary initiative that serves to change lives.

My Fellow Rotarians and Friends of ROMAC

I sincerely hope this newsletter finds you safe and well and coping with the ongoing day-to-day challenges of the COVID virus.

Regrettably the Federal Government will still not allow us to bring children into Australia or New Zealand because of restrictions due to the pandemic. However, we have around 40 patients on our waiting list who will be treated as soon as possible once border closures are lifted.

For your interest, ROMAC's contact in Timor Leste, Mario and his wife, Zhy Da Cruz, welcomed a new baby daughter recently, but while she was in hospital following the delivery Zhy was diagnosed with COVID. Fortunately, she is okay and continues to improve daily. Congratulations to Mario and Zhy from all at ROMAC.

Recently ROMAC's IT Support Chair, Richard Woodburn, undertook a review of ROMAC patient information and has reported that the number of children treated by ROMAC since our inception currently stands at 537. There have been more cases on record - in actual fact, these total 634 - but because some children have had to return to Australia or New Zealand for follow-up treatment, sometimes on multiple occasions - the case numbers outweigh the actual patient numbers.

Thank you to those of you who purchased wine through our recent Tyrrell's Special Wine Offer for ROMAC. This has been another successful event and an important contribution to our fundraising targets.

As in previous Chairman's Updates, I again remind you that if you haven't recently had a presentation from one of the ROMAC team, we would be delighted to either join your meeting via Zoom, or attend personally (COVID permitting) to show our 10 minute Video on ROMAC and answer any questions. Please contact me, either by my email: chair@romac.org.au, or on my mobile: 0411 044 691 , to organise the presentation.

Keep safe and stay positive.

Harold Sharp OAM
Chairman

THE CASE OF PENNY

Ten year old Penny arrived in Auckland from Tonga in May courtesy of a humanitarian visa issued by the New Zealand Government due to the seriousness of her condition, and the fact that Tonga, at that stage, was COVID free. Penny was suffering from severe Rheumatic Heart Disease which had affected her heart valves requiring urgent surgery.

On arrival in Auckland, Penny had to spend time in quarantine before being admitted to hospital. Unfortunately, when she was expected to be admitted a virus swept through Starship, closing the ICU unit at the hospital, meaning that she needed to stay in quarantine.

Finally, Penny's operation took place on 23rd July and lasted 8 hours! Two of her heart valves were repaired and a third replaced.

When she was about to be discharged from hospital New Zealand went into lockdown due to another outbreak of COVID, and to date she and her father, Hola, are still waiting to be able to return home to Tonga. It is hoped that they will be able to fly out in the next week or two.

Penny is the only patient to have been treated by ROMAC in either Australia or New Zealand since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of borders of our two countries.

Presented by IPDG Adele Hughes

ROMAC Chair District 9560