Project Bravery Bear

PICTURED: Esther Roadnight, of the Rotary Club of Kalgoorlie, Chijioke (CJ) Dike, Chief Medical Imaging Technologist Radiology Department at Kalgoorlie Hospital and President of the Rotary Club of Kalgoorlie Tyson Separovich, with Shaun Bryant and his daughters Hazel (4) and Pearl (2), holding their Bravery Bears.

The Rotary Club of Kalgoorlie, WA, has been providing a Bravery Bear and award for children who have undergone a theatre procedure at Kalgoorlie Health Campus since 2021.

The club recognised that a child undergoing any medical procedure can be very stressful for both the child and the parents/guardians.

Project Bravery Bear Coordinator Esther Roadnight said that even though the club doesn’t get direct feedback from parents, the anecdotal comments indicate that the children really appreciate receiving the Bravery Bear and a certificate acknowledging their braveness.

Since the project’s inception, more than 550 Bravery Bears and certificates have been given to patients during recovery.

Earlier this year, the Rotary Club of Kalgoorlie was approached and asked if the Bravery Award could be extended to children who go to the radiology area to have X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds and MRI’s. The project has now been extended to include these procedures.