Refugee Children Thrive With World-class Healthcare

When their homeland became too dangerous to stay, Ahmad* and Aafreen’s* daughter Sayeh* was already very unwell. With healthcare in their country also in crisis, the family left Afghanistan and travelled to neighbouring countries to seek a diagnosis. For Sayeh, this came only when the family arrived in Australia two years ago, thanks to the HARK Clinic (Health Assessment for Refugee Kids) at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

The HARK Clinic, was established in 2005, to provide refugee and asylum seeker children and young people under the age of 16 with multidisciplinary health assessments and treatments. The Clinic also makes referrals to specialised support services within the community, which are consistent with these childrens’ health care needs.

Dr Nikola Morton, is the Clinical Lead of the HARK Refugee Service at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and also works as a Staff Specialist Paediatrician and international advisor for organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières in France and as a field paediatrician in the Middle East and Africa.

Support from the community benefits the refugee and asylum seeker patients and their families by ensuring that they have equitable access to healthcare, it enables the team to provide education and training across Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network to deliver care to these patients and their families. It helps strengthen partnerships with other refugee and asylum seeker community agencies and services.

“We really appreciate everything that has been done for Sayeh. The HARK Clinic has always been there to support us. We are very thankful to Dr Nikola Morton and her colleagues,” Aafreen said.

Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) relies on our Movement of Many to help raise vital funds for services like the HARK Program. By leaving a gift in your will, even as little as 1%, you can help children like Sayeh access the very best healthcare when and where they need it.

SCHF has partnered with Safewill, Australia’s highest rated online Will writing platform and is pleased to offer you the opportunity to write your online Will for just $80 (usually $160). To learn more, contact us on 1800 770 122, [email protected] or visit Leave a gift in your Will | Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation

*Names have been changed to protect privacy