Fight for Sight

The birth of a child is a busy, usually hectic, often anxious and hopefully, ultimately joyous occasion for those involved. In the case of premature babies, the intensity and complexity of activity is dialled up to a completely new level, with multiple additional factors and risks for medical teams to consider. One of the most serious complications associated with extremely premature births is that of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). It is a condition which affects the developing blood vessels in the retina and, if it progresses without detection and treatment, can significantly impact the child’s sight and ultimately cause permanent vision loss. That ability to see clearly later in life can come down to something as simple – and as important – as having the right diagnostic equipment available at the right time, but given the prohibitive cost of such equipment, having it on hand is not always an option.

That is where the Humpty Dumpty Foundation is making a remarkable difference through its latest initiative – Fight for Sight – helping Australian hospitals access sophisticated wide-field digital retinal cameras and giving more medical teams a powerful new way of detecting potentially sight-threatening conditions in premature babies.

Founded in 1996, the Humpty Dumpty Foundation has grown into one of the country’s most significant charitable suppliers of medical equipment for children, raising funds to provide essential and often lifesaving equipment.

Today, Humpty Dumpty Foundation has supplied equipment to around 500 hospitals, spanning paediatric wards, neonatal units, maternity departments and emergency services.

Humpty Dumpty Foundation uses a targeted approach, working with hospitals and health professionals to identify specific equipment requirements. Requests are assessed through its Medical Program Advisory Committee before the approved items become part of Humpty’s Wish List and then donors can fund equipment that has already been identified as a genuine clinical need.

The Audi Foundation has supported the important work of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation for nearly 10 years, with the ongoing relationship seeing the supply of countless pieces of state-of-the-art medical equipment to children’s wards. That support continues with this latest initiative specifically targeting the need for early diagnostic equipment to scan for ROP in premature newborns.

The Fight for Sight program is aimed at supplying ICON digital retinal cameras where they are most needed, so premature babies, no matter where they are born, have access to this life-changing technology.

The need for more of these cameras was highlighted in 2023 by leading neonatologists and developmental paediatricians across New South Wales. As survival rates of premature babies has increased, so too has the demand for this specialised equipment, and to that end, Humpty Dumpty looked to fund and supply the digital retinal imaging machines across some of the busiest neonatal intensive care units in New South Wales.

At $200,000 for each camera, this is very expensive, highly-specialised equipment, but the benefits to the long-term prospects of premature infants is beyond measure. The Audi Foundation was more than happy to lend its support to the program, funding the supply of an ICON Digital Retinal Camera to Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital earlier this year.

“The Audi Foundation is proud to be a long time support of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation’s work, and the Fight for Sight initiative is a perfect example of how Humpty identifies an area of need and then goes about satisfying it,” says Jeff Mannering, Chairman of the Audi Foundation.

“The Digital Retinal Cameras represent life-changing technology that will allow early detection and treatment of potentially devastating conditions, literally safeguarding the sight of premature babies at a critical time in their lives.”

The wide-field digital retinal imaging provides an important solution, capturing detailed images across a broad area of the little one’s retina. Those images can then be stored, reviewed and, where appropriate, transmitted securely for assessment by specialist ophthalmologists. Crucially, this is an initiative concerned with prevention and as modern neonatal medicine has enabled more extremely premature babies to survive, it highlights that survival is only part of the story. The goal is for those children to grow up with the best possible quality of life and protecting their vision is one very important part of that equation.

“Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, this technology is now in place across five major Neonatal Intensive Care Units, enabling earlier diagnosis and a gentler screening experience for fragile newborns,” says Claire Reaney, CEO & Managing Director of Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

“This initiative is about far more than new equipment. It is about protecting sight at the earliest and most vulnerable stage of life.”

For neonatologists and developmental paediatricians, the digital retinal cameras represent an invaluable tool, while for parents of premature babies, their increased availability in busy neonatal intensive care units around the state mean one less thing to be concerned about at what is an already anxious and emotional time of their lives and those of their tiny infants.