AEIOU News

North West Hospital sponsors AEIOU $15,000

Fri, 7 May 10

Did you know very working hour another child in Australia is diagnosed with autism, affecting an increasing number of families across the country.

The AEIOU Foundation is a not for profit organisation dedicated to providing a best-practice, fulltime early intervention and learning program for children aged 2½ to 5 years who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This program is designed to ensure that all families have access regardless of culture, race or economic background.

Currently, there is a $10,000 funding gap for each child placement at an AEIOU centre. Rather than challenging families to pay higher fees AEIOU relies on sponsorship for support, one organization lending a helping hand is North West Hospital!

In loving memory of the larger than life Janelle Engstrom, a theatre bookings nurse at North West Hospital, The Just Janelle Fund began last Christmas.

A group of staff at North West instead of buying secret santa gifts, donated their money to AEIOU the charity was chosen by Gemma Smith, Janelle's close co worker, after being touched by an article in the paper about a family with a child attending AEIOU.

North West Hospital Theatre Bookings Nurse, Gemma Smith, said I read about a family with an autistic child attending AEIOU in the paper, the photo of the women and her son and what AEIOU had done for their family just really grabbed me, and that was it, it was ment to be.

Ever since, Gemma has held Christmas raffles, Easter raffles, Mothers Day raffle and donated proceeds raised at the North West Hospital 25th Anniversary Ball as well as North West Hospital agreed to double any amount of fundraising Gemma raised!

$15,000 raised by North West Hospital will be donated to the AEIOU Foundation, providing support for 5 x Lynn Wright Memorial Fund Scholarships for those who would otherwise be unable to attend the AEIOU program.

"The Just Janelle Fund means Janelle's name lives on and I intend on growing the fund to continually support the children and families at the AEIOU Foundation for children with autism" Gemma said.

Although there is still no cure for autism it is widely recognized that the early intervention is key to helping children reach their full potential.