The Herd of Hope organ donation and transplant charity has mustered support to bring the bush to Sydney in the new year.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge was the event organisers’ location of choice for their charity cattle drive, but city officials rejected their application for event approval.
Good things come to those who wait, which is a not a new concept for people on the organ transplant list.
Hope has found a way.
An alternative city location for the cattle drive has been identified and it promises to make a splash.
Details are all but finalised and the date and location will be announced soon.
But first a few finishing touches are needed.
Details will be revealed in coming weeks.
Bush week for kids
Schools are already reaching out to the Herd of Hope, asking how to get involved. Kids and the communities have donated funds to the charity so the
The Herd of Hope wants rural kids who cannot make it to Sydney for the cattle drive to be part of the event. They can supply some artistic inspiration in the form of a cow cutout for students to brand as their own, which will be used to line the parade route on the big day.
Contact details for the Herd of Hope below
Bush help for health
Funds are being raised by the Herd of Hope through sponsoring individual cattle as well as general donations from individuals and businesses.
The money will be used for counselling services for donor families, and to supply transplant care nurses in the bush to guide organ recipients through the challenging recovery process.
Along with Mrs Mazur (see video above) South Australian Megan McLoughlin is the driving force behind the Herd.
An organ recipient herself, Megan drew on her personal experience and family history to inspire the event.
Australia’s vast and sparsely populated interior mirrors the organ donation challenges facing regional communities.
Australia’s organ donation rates are among the lowest for a developed nation and the concentration of medical expertise in metropolitan areas draw rural and regional people from their home bases.
Sick people in the bush awaiting transplants may be driven to relocate to major cities, to be at hand at major hospitals when organs become available.
They may even miss out on the window of opportunity for potentially life-saving transplants if they are too far from a facility capable of performing the necessary surgery.
The Land is print media partner for the Herd of Hope.
More details on the Herd of Hope will be announced soon.