6 September 2025
Dr Grace Wong, Senior Staff Specialist, Paediatrician and Head of Department, Child Protection Unit, The Children’s Hospital Westmead.
Dr Wong began by saying that It is so heart-warming to see some familiar faces of people she has I met on previous Cornucopia functions, along with so many new faces today and see the incredible efforts and work of the Cornucopia committee.
In my 10 years at Westmead I have worked with an incredible team doing what we can do to make sure that children have the best start in life, that the young people and helped and supported to find their way to maturity and to see families supported during times of stress and vulnerability. As I said to a group of young paediatricians undertaking some training – working in child protection is challenging, the work can be had and it is not for the faint hearted, you have to have guts, but the job itself – whatever we get to do every day – is its very own reward.
The funds raised by the Cornucopia Committee has meant that we have been able to provide extended services to children beyond funding provided from government, in particular, looking at prevention efforts and early support for families. One of the initiatives has been work in implementing the “no hit zone” project developing resources for parents who may struggle with the care of their children during times of stress, enabling parents to develop alternative strategies to managing parental frustration and problem behaviours.
Other funds have gone into refurbishment of a medical examination room, to ensure that children who are seen for examinations in the CPU are able to have a comfortable, child friendly space that feels warm and welcoming.
We most recently utilised donated funds to produce additional education resources for the training and education of young doctors, nurses and other clinicians in what to look out for and how to assess and manage physical abuse in young children. These resources are incredibly helpful and needed in a system that is already much overburdened by many competing clinical priorities.
In conclusion, on behalf of my team at the CPU, on behalf of the Children’s Hospital and most importantly, on behalf of all the children and families who have and continue to benefit from your incredible kindness and generosity, I want to say a very big thank you. But beyond the funds raised, what matters most to me and to my team is knowing that we are supported in this work by those who work alongside us. So, thank you all of you present today, who by your presence has supported us and encouraged us in this work.
Dr Wong sincerely thanked Maureen and all the Cornucopia Committee members for all that we do to support us, for putting on this event and your tireless commitment to better the lives of vulnerable children.
