PRE-SEASON is full of running with a purpose.
15 staff members at the Carlton Football Club will take that to a new level next month for an incredibly meaningful cause.
Members of the Blues’ AFLW and AFL Football Department will be taking part in next month’s Melbourne Marathon to raise money for the Monash Health Foundation in support of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Monash Children’s Hospital.
Their purpose comes from supporting the family of a fellow Bluebagger.
AFLW midfielder Lauren Brazzale’s nephew Maxwell spent 10 weeks in the extraordinary care of Monash NICU.
During that time, it was the dedication, love and care of the staff in the NICU that left a lasting impression on the Brazzale family.
“Before our experience, my family didn’t know of or appreciate the importance of the NICU,” Brazzale said.
“I can now tell you that it is an incredible place filled with amazing people whose work goes largely unheralded.”
With that in mind, staff members at the Club wanted to come together to raise funds towards supporting Monash NICU.
Money raised will go towards purchasing additional cot cameras, which allow parents to see their babies 24 hours a day.
The cot cameras are more important now more than ever due to current visitation restrictions in hospitals, allowing families the comfort of being able to see their newborn while not by their bedside.
Brazzale said she was humbled by the Club’s support and couldn’t thank her Carlton family enough.
“The fact that others want to support such a wonderful cause because of my family’s experience is really humbling and is an unbelievable response to an amazing cause,” she said.
“With the amazing work that the NICU do they truly deserve every cent.
“Please help where you can. We want to make everyone’s experience as comfortable as it can be.”
