Paper Cranes Children's Foundation

29/10/2025

Thank you, Lionsatspringwood for your incredible generosity! 🦁💛

We’re so grateful for your donation and excited about the opportunity to collaborate on future events together, raising funds for vital services that will help make Wattle Cottage a warm, welcoming space where kids and families can find comfort and respite when they need it most.

Thank you for helping us make a difference. 💛

🦁✨ Together, We Lift Others ✨🦁
We’re proud to donate $2,000 to Paper Cranes Children's Foundation — an incredible charity based right here in Queensland that provides personalised care and support to children and young people with profound physical disabilities, complex health needs and life-limiting conditions.

PCCF offer services such as specialist in-home and community supports, respite stays, wellness and memory-making programs — giving families stability, connection and moments that matter.

We at Lions@Springwood are honoured to back their mission. A huge thanks to our members, sponsors and local community for helping us make real impact — one family, one child, one moment at a time.

29/10/2025

Fun night at NAPA Centre .
Learning how to make switch adapted toys with Ali Gebhardt 😀

25/10/2025

Today on Grandparent’s Day, we acknowledge that being a bereaved grandparent can be a lonely experience.

Grandparents’ grief can be difficult on two levels, as they grieve the death of their grandchild, and hurt because their children are hurting too.

If you know a grieving grandparent, then take a moment today to reach out and let them know that they are in your thoughts.

24/10/2025

Join Down Syndrome Australia on 5 November for a 60-minute webinar with Associate Professor Jasneek Chawla.

Learn how common sleep apnoea is in children and young people with Down syndrome, why it’s important to treat and how it’s diagnosed and managed.

The session is for parents, carers and health professionals supporting young people with Down syndrome.
Post from Down Syndrome Australia.

To register head to: https://www.downsyndrome.org.au/blog/event/sleep-apnoea-and-down-syndrome-information-for-families/

24/10/2025

✨ Meet the Team: Friday Spotlight ✨

It’s that time of the week again - we love putting a spotlight on the amazing people behind the scenes!

This Friday, we’re excited to introduce Sabine! From her passion for outdoors and music to the energy she brings to the team every day, Sabine makes a big difference in everything she does.

Read on to get to know her a little better 👇

Hi, my name is Sabine, I have been working with PCCF for over 2 years. This position caught my attention because it offers valuable experience working with children and the chance to develop practical skills relevant to my career goals.
PCCF offers personalised, genuine support that puts children and their families at the heart of everything.

I have learned a lot since I started working with PCCF, and I am proud to be part of such a multicultural team that brings a unique mix of cultures and perspectives.

In my spare time, I usually enjoy being outdoors, listening to music, and hanging out with friends.

17/10/2025

Apgar Score , what a remarkable woman 👏

A baby born blue and silent. Doctors frozen in panic. Then one woman said five words that would save 50 million lives.
"Let's score the baby."
It was 1952, inside a New York City delivery room, and Dr. Virginia Apgar had just changed medicine forever—though no one knew it yet.
Apgar had dreamed of becoming a surgeon. She had the skill, the drive, and the brilliant mind for it. But in the 1940s, hospital doors stayed locked for women who wanted to hold scalpels. After being told point-blank that no hospital would hire a female surgeon, she made a choice: if they wouldn't let her into the operating room, she'd find another way to save lives.
She turned to anesthesiology—and ended up exactly where she was meant to be.
Working in Columbia-Presbyterian's maternity ward, Apgar witnessed something that haunted her: newborns dying within minutes of birth, while doctors stood helpless, unsure which babies needed urgent care and which would recover on their own. There was no system. No standard. Just chaos and heartbreak.
So one morning over breakfast, she grabbed a napkin and designed a test. Five simple measurements: heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflex response, and skin color. Zero to ten points. Two minutes to assess. One score that could mean the difference between life and death.
She called it the Apgar Score.
Within a decade, nearly every hospital in America was using it. Infant mortality plummeted. Babies who would have been left to die were suddenly being resuscitated. Doctors finally had a universal language for newborn care—and it came from a woman they'd told couldn't be a surgeon.
But Apgar didn't stop there. She earned a master's in public health at 50, joined the March of Dimes, and spent the rest of her life fighting for mothers and babies worldwide. She became one of the most powerful voices in maternal and infant health—the job they said she'd never have.
When someone asked how she thrived in a world that didn't want her, she smiled and said: "Women are like tea bags—you don't know how strong they are until they're in hot water."
Dr. Virginia Apgar died in 1974, but her legacy breathes in every delivery room on Earth. Every two seconds, somewhere in the world, a newborn takes their first breath while someone calls out a score.
A score that honors the woman who refused to accept "no"—and who turned rejection into a gift that keeps on giving, one breath at a time.

17/10/2025

🌟 Friday Staff Spotlight 🌟

Every Friday, we’ll be shining a light on one of the amazing people who make up our team!

This week, meet Tiare - one of our incredible team members. Keep reading to learn a little more about her 👇

Hi, my name is Tiare Flores, I’ve been with Paper Cranes Children Foundation for about a year and a half now. Being part of this small, kind-hearted team has given me a sense of purpose I didn’t know I was missing.

Before this, I worked for 8 years in critical care at a hospital with adults, it was intense and important work, but deep down, I always felt a pull toward working with kids and this opportunity came up to make that shift.

I work as a support worker, which means I care for the children with everything I’ve got, responsibility, empathy, and a lot of heart. What I love most is how free I can be with them, I’ve realised I can be completely silly, spontaneous, and just play… I’m constantly singing songs (even though I'm not a real singer, I’m not winning any singing competition hahaha) and seeing them light up makes it all so worth it.

The most meaningful part of my job is knowing that even in small ways, we’re making a difference in their lives. These kids deserve happiness, love, opportunities, and the kind of care that helps them thrive.

Of course, it’s not always easy. It can be tough at times, realizing how different their lives might be without the right support. But the beautiful thing is, there’s always a way to help and that’s why we’re here and it’s why Paper Cranes has inspired me so much, the way they advocate not just for the kids, but for their families too.

And even though I’m here to work for them, I feel like I’m the one learning the most. Every day, these incredible little humans somehow manage to teach me something new, and I’m grateful for it every time.

15/10/2025

Wow, what a day!

We kicked things off with a lovely visit from Margaret and Judy from Quota Beenleigh. After a tour around Wattle Cottage, we sat down to chat about how we can potentially collaborate in the future - so many exciting ideas in the works!

Next, we had the pleasure of welcoming Mayor Jon Raven and Mayoress Ali Raven who stopped by to see what we’re working towards with Wattle Cottage. From here, they could see the vision firsthand and what is needed to get the doors open.

And of course… we couldn’t resist getting our hands on a few of these bags 😂

Once again, thank you Chris from MyCity Logan for sharing our story and helping create awareness on what we are doing.

15/10/2025

🖐✨ It’s Global Handwashing Day! ✨🖐

Germs are sneaky little things, but we’ve got the ultimate superpower: soap + water! 💦🧼

Keeping little hands clean helps keep our kids safe and healthy — especially those with complex medical needs.

Here’s how to be a handwashing hero:
🎵 Sing “Happy Birthday” twice while scrubbing
🖐 Don’t forget thumbs, fingers, and under nails
💧 Rinse, dry, and show those germs who’s boss!

Grab your soap, make it fun, and let’s keep everyone healthy - one splash at a time! 💙

15/10/2025

A huge congratulations to Brett and the team Double Tap Plumbing & Drainage for taking out the National title!

14/10/2025

Want to support Paper Cranes Children’s Foundation every time you shop?

It’s easy! Sign up for the Ritchies Community Benefits Program, download the app, and choose Paper Cranes Children’s Foundation as your charity of choice.

Every time you shop, Ritchies will give back to our charity – helping us continue supporting children with complex needs and their families.

It’s free to join, simple to use, and makes a big difference.

https://www.ritchies.com.au/ritchies-loyalty/community



Ritchies Daisy Hill
Ritchies Boonah