Each year in Australia approximately 150 children under the age of 16 receive a haematopoietic stem cell transplant. Receiving treatment at one of the specialist Children’s Hospitals across the country, the families of these children face significant financial and logistical challenges.

Arrow aims to help these families through our patient support program offering accommodation, travel, grocery and petrol card assistance.

In the past year, Arrow has supported 37 families in Australia, each of whom have had a child undergoing transplant treatment, and many of whom have had to relocate from home for months on end.

We are able to provide this support thanks to our kind sponsors and our strong relationship with the social work teams at the Children’s Hospital.

A spokesperson from the Queensland Children’s Hospital, which received help for 12 of its patient families this year, said:

“The welfare team at Queensland Children’s Hospital is grateful for the support Arrow provides to families undergoing a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Families undergoing this treatment are impacted financially, with additional costs associated with lengthy hospital attendance, usually on top of a significant reduction of income. Arrow’s support makes a huge difference to families by allowing them to stay together and support each other through treatment”.

Arrow wishes all transplant patients, including the littlest of patients, strength to them and their family during this tough time.