Mounties Group and the GIANTS Foundation have announced a partnership to build Mounties Care Cottage, the only children’s hospice in Western Sydney.
Mounties Care, a subsidiary of Mounties Group, will donate $3 million to the GIANTS Foundations, and will continue to support the fundraising of a further $27 million required to make the build possible.
“There is a growing demand for paediatric palliative care facilities that can provide the high need care and support for terminally ill babies and children, without families having to move away from their local area,” Mounties Group president John Dean said.
Building Mounties Care Cottage will help realise the vision of Rio’s Legacy, which was founded by Karen and Ryan Fowler in honour of their son Rio James Fowler, who lost his life to terminal illness aged just 18 months old.
“Currently, there are only three hospices nation-wide that cater for the tens of thousands of children with a life-limiting condition and their families, leaving many without the specialised care and support they desperately need. This donation from Mounties Care and the GIANTS Foundation allows us to commit to the fourth,” said Ryan Fowler.
While planning is still underway, the Mounties Care Cottage aims to house eight children and their families at any given time. It will be designed based on the experience that Rio’s family had during their stay at Bear Cottage in Manly, and will feature a calm and peaceful environment that will have recreational facilities and gardens, quiet and communal areas, and playrooms to make the families’ difficult times less challenging.
“Partnering with Rio’s Legacy and the GIANTS Foundation to provide a peaceful environment where families can stay together in Western Sydney, drawing strength from each other while receiving care by specially trained staff, brings our Mounties Care mission of improving the lives of our member communities to life,” Dean said.
A location for the Mounties Cottage Care is still being determined, but a Mounties spokesperson said the facility will be constructed where “there is the most need for a children’s hospice to be built”.
“We want to provide a space that is easily accessible for children and their families. We are continuing to work with NSW government and other organisations to ensure we find the best location possible,” the spokeperson said.