Hummingbird House, the "home away from home" for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families, came a step closer today to reality with the turning of the sod for Queensland's only children's hospice by PM Tony Abbott.
The beautifully designed building at Chermside's Wheller Gardens, expected to open its doors to families at the end of the year, is the vision of QUT Executive MBA graduate Paul Quilliam who is the driving force behind the project which he spearheaded four years ago.
"My wife, Gabrielle, and I have fostered children with complex, high-care needs and we know how difficult it is to find respite services with adequate medical care for these children," Mr Quilliam said.
"When a child has a life-limiting illness, the parents become 24/7 carers. This adversely affects everyone in the family, especially siblings who can feel isolated when their parents focus so much time, energy and finances on the sick child.
"That's why Hummingbird House is so desperately needed in Queensland - to give these families the specialised medical, emotional and respite that only a dedicated children's hospice can provide.
"Hummingbird House's vision is to enhance the quality of whatever time a child may have left by empowering them to live fully and joyfully."
An estimated 3700 Queensland families will be able to access Hummingbird House, a joint initiative with Wesley Mission Brisbane, upon whose grounds the hospice will be built.
It will be equipped with eight guest-in-care rooms for the children and five family suites, two of which will be connected to guest-in-care rooms. The family accommodation will be flexible and able to cater for different sized families, offering one to four bedrooms.
"We want Hummingbird House to wrap the children and all their family in a warm embrace. It will feel like grandma's house where nothing is too difficult - it will be a home away from home.
"These families desperately need a break, a place to go where their children will be cared for, where they can reconnect as a couple and a family and, when the time comes, a supportive environment in which to say goodbye to their child."
After Mr Quilliam graduated from the EMBA four years ago he formed the charity Queensland Kids with himself and two EMBA Cohort 9 members on the Board.
"We established Queensland Kids to address gaps in services for Queensland children and their families with the inaugural project being Hummingbird House," Mr Quilliam said.
"More than 20 graduates from several EMBA/MBA cohorts, along with QUT EMBA lecturers, have followed and assisted this project in every way from raising funds to forging partnerships.
"The charity currently subsidises the travel costs of families impacted by life-limiting conditions to go to Sydney's children's hospice, Bear Cottage, for respite until Hummingbird House is up and running."
QUT Business School executive dean Professor Robina Xavier said it was wonderful to see Mr Quilliam's vision come to fruition after such a long journey.
"It is truly heartwarming to see all of the cohorts come together to support Queensland Kids and Hummingbird House."
For more information go to www.hummingbirdhouse.org.au
Mr Quilliam is also a QUT Global AMBAssador for the Association of MBA's and an Executive Advisor for the Executive MBA Program.
Related article: Queensland's only children's hospice soon to be a reality
Media contact: Niki Widdowson, QUT media, 07 3138 2999 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au.
