Milly Xiaohui Li was an English teacher for Chinese migrants for many years in Box Hill. When COVID-19 began to affect Victorians, she reached out to her former students, friends and colleagues to support Box Hill Hospital and the Eastern Health Agility Response Fund.
“I realised the necessity of such contributions in my local community”, says Milly, a Qualified Education Agent Counsellor from LYU You Study International Pty Ltd.
“When my husband and I began the fundraiser, we received contributions from past students and friends in the Australian community, and also a few friends who are living in mainland China”, she says.
The
group donated over $16,600 to the Eastern Health Agility Response Fund in early April 2020.
“During this difficult time, many of us are living in a state of privilege; being able to work from home, study at home and connect with others online from the safety of our home”, says Milly. “This is thanks to the many frontline doctors and nurses in our community who are dedicated to keeping us safe.”
“We are humbled to help and say thank you to frontline medical staff in our local area. Box Hill hospital has been grounded and supportive of this community for such an extensive period of time. I myself gave birth at Box Hill Hospital twice!” says Milly.
“We trust that Box Hill Hospital will use our donation to positively impact doctors and nurses and our local community as well.”
To date (12 June 2020), community support for the Agility Response Fund has enabled the purchase of vital life-saving medical equipment across Eastern Health, including:
- One heart lung bypass machine – to take over the work of the lungs (or heart) when they are too ill to absorb oxygen
- Three video laryngoscopes - a device to help doctors insert breathing tubes for patients who require ventilation (Box Hill Hospital and Maroondah Hospital)
- 16 vital signs monitors - to provide 24/7 monitoring of heart rate and breathing function (Box Hill Hospital)
- “We are proud to be able to support others in need. This donation sets us on track to recover from this pandemic.”
“In many ways, we are proud, grateful and humbled that we can contribute to this effort in ways other than staying at some and social distancing”, says Milly.
“Thank you to the doctors and nurses who have spent many sleepless nights preparing for and fighting this virus.”
Eastern Health Foundation is most grateful to Milly and her students, friends and colleagues for their wonderful contribution to the Agility Response Fund.
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