Whip up a bowl of pasta with Coles Mum’s Sause and make a difference for sick kids this World Pasta Day.
If the thought of a delectable pasta dish is leaving you salivating, there are a few good reasons to indulge and enjoy it on October 25.
Each year, World Pasta Day is celebrated on October 25, and if you purchase a jar of pasta sauce from the Mum’s Sause range at a Queensland Coles to perfect your favourite dish, you’ll be making a positive impact for sick children who visit The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH).
Make Your Favourite Pasta and a Difference for Sick Kids
Fifty cents from each jar of Mum’s Sause sold at Coles is donated to children’s hospitals around the country, as part of the fundraising initiative ‘Curing Homesickness’.
In Queensland, that money goes towards important initiatives that help sick kids at TPCH, including the Children’s Emergency Department through The Common Good.
A hospital can be a daunting place for patients of all ages, but it may be especially unnerving for the smallest ones who may be overcome by the fear of the unknown.
Those children may also be experiencing overwhelming pain due to their ill-health or may have had a traumatic experience in hospital before. Either way, their distress and suffering can make it difficult for medical professionals to carry out necessary tests or treatment (some of which may also be painful or unpleasant). The child’s parent might also struggle to contain their anxiety when their child is in pain and unsettled in the hospital environment.
The Prince Charles Hospital children’s service cares for approximately 30,000 children each year.
The funds raised from the Curing Homesickness initiative and its major partner Coles, have so far been used for Virtual Reality Goggles and the Child Life Therapist Pilot Program – both of which can provide a welcome diversion for kids in hospital.
Virtual Reality Goggles for Kids in hospital
The Common Good purchased two Virtual Reality headsets for The Prince Charles Hospital and Caboolture Hospital thanks to the Curing Homesickness initiative.
The VR goggles provide an immersive and interactive experience to keep the kids entertained and distracted, and in turn help staff to perform their tasks efficiently and quickly.
Child Life Therapist at TPCH
Thanks to the Curing Homesickness initiative, a Child Life Therapist started working at The Prince Charles Hospital in July 2022.
Her role is to minimise the stress, fear and anxiety hospitalised children might experience and improve their coping strategies. This is done though play-based activities and positive distraction techniques.
She also helps to prepare children for medical procedures by explaining the process in an age-appropriate way. This helps to reduce the fear of the unknown and clarify misconceptions they may have.
“One of the most significant impacts a Child Life Therapist can have in an Emergency Department is to improve a child’s ability to manage their pain, therefore, reducing a child’s need for sedation,” The Prince Charles Hospital’s Clinical Director, Children’s Emergency Department, Dr David Wood said earlier this year.
“Sedation increases the length of hospital stay for a child so if we can reduce the need for sedation or the amount of sedation required it means children can leave hospital sooner.”
Coles Mum’s Sause
Flavoursome food and fundraising for a good cause? Sounds too good to be true (but it’s not!) AND if pasta doesn’t take your fancy, there’s also pizza sauce in the Mum’s Sause range.
The Mum’s Sause range is available at Coles year-round.
Learn more about the Curing Homesickness initiative and Coles Mum’s Sause range here.
