Western Health Board Member Tricia Malowney was one of the first babies ever born at Footscray Hospital. As an infant she contracted polio and since then has required assistance to walk. This November Tricia has pledged to walk every day, with her calipers, in support of the WalkWest Virtual Landmarks Challenge.

In a year that has shone a light brighter than ever before on the essential role of our healthcare workers, employees at Western Health have been recognised for their exceptional efforts with a gift bag of donated products coordinated through the Western Health Foundation.

Keryn was known to those around her for her love of life and putting other's needs before her own. A beloved mother and friend, she made it her mission to spread happiness to everyone in her presence.

Western Health’s palliative care patients will continue to receive massage therapy thanks to a grant from Western Region Aged Care Inc. The oncology massage service is solely dependent on external funding and provides welcome relief to patients by making them more comfortable.

Sophie* and her partner found their world had turned upside down with the sudden arrival of their premature twin girls. The couple were transferred to Western Health's Joan Kirner Women and Children's, from regional Victoria to receive the necessary level of medical care for mum and babies. With no time to prepare for the sudden stay in hospital and away from their support network, the family who identify as Aboriginal welcomed the support they have received from Western Health's Wilim Berrbang team.

Despite the daily challenges of COVID-19, a motivated team of staff and community members joined forces this July to raise over $6000 for cancer services at Western Health.

Williamston Hospital has been given a new lease of life with the completion of the 'Heart of Williamstown' project in mid-July.

When the Western Health Foundation reached out to the local community to help bolster the response of Western Health to the COVID-19 crisis, we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity and kindness from so many people.

Thanks to the Deer Park Lioness Club, the Joan Kirner Women and Children's at Sunshine Hospital has welcomed a new addition to the Birthing Unit – a Birthing Modular System. Arriving from Germany last month, and popular in birthing suites across Europe, the Birthing Modular System is the first of its kind in tertiary maternity hospitals in Melbourne.

Thanks to the generous support of the corporate sector, Western Health has been able to invest in an innovative new PPE product, Halo masks. These have already been put to use with our healthcare workers wearing them on the frontline, assisting them to stay safe whilst responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.