WHEN a child is terminally ill, Springwood’s Galia Rose says the impact on families is unfathomable.
That’s why she is building Logan’s first respite centre for sick children and their families.
A place where parents can relax and enjoy a meal while their child is being cared for by trained professionals.
It’s the little things, which most people take for granted, that make the biggest difference for these families, according Ms Rose, whose 20-year career spans nursing, paediatric community and disability services.
She said traditional hospices in Australia could often feel like a hospital. She wants this to be a home.
A place where families can “have fun and make memories”.
“It will have clinical aspects, but the focus will be on making families comfortable,” Ms Rose said.
Parents of sick children often struggle to pay the bills, let alone find the time to go out for a nice meal together, Ms Rose said.
“It’s not natural for kids to die before their parents, but they do.
“Whether it’s cancer or a child is born with a condition, it could happen to anyone.
“So yes, [Wattle Cottage] is looking after the kids, but it’s also for the families.”
The development is being led by the Paper Cranes Children’s Foundation, co-founded by Ms Rose in 2023.
Once open, possibly by the end of next year, the cottage will be able to house four children at a time, who will each receive 24/7 care from qualified and experienced nurses.
Children with life limiting conditions and complex disabilities, and their families will have access to respite, bereavement counselling, and “memory making”.
The property features five bedrooms (including a parents suite), two fully-accessible bathrooms, play, sensory and therapy areas, fruit trees, vegetable beds and a swimming pool.
The cottage so far has been funded through grants.
With about 10 staff working towards the same goal, while working other jobs, Ms Rose said the process had been no mean feat.
Before it can officially open, Paper Cranes’ community engagement manager Abbi Brass said internal sprinklers needed to be installed and the back patio, which was damaged during Cyclone Alfred, needed to be repaired.
“It has been really tough,” Ms Brass said.
“We have been relying purely on grants, but now we’re at the stage where we really need some community backing to get us over the finish line. Galia still works seven days a week… and [Patrick Tyro Burns], the co-founder, also works double jobs just to make sure we can get this going.
“We can have children of all disabilities here. If there is a family that has had a really tough time, and they want to get out of either their home environment or hospital environment, then we have the facilities to provide them the care they need.
“This is needed. We need to open the doors and get kids in.”
With future plans to become an official hospice that can provide end-of-life care, Ms Rose is searching for a corporate partnership.
“It is a massive project, and we wanted to do it independently,” she said.
“We’re proud that we’re doing it in Logan. It is the first and only one in Logan.”
The cottage’s facade is adorned with a mural featuring local animals and wattles.
The wattle theme was chosen as a tribute to Joey Cecil, a boy who died in 2022.
Those who attended Joey’s “celebration of life” received a tube of Golden Wattle to plant in his memory.
His favourite colour was yellow, which was then chosen as Paper Cranes’ brand colour.
Ms Rose was inspired by Joey’s “courage, resilience, and endless love to inspire and drive positive change”.
