VITAL new life-saving equipment for babies and children will go into Tamworth hospital after a charity bike ride set to depart the city on Wednesday morning.
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The 22 cyclists on the Country to Coast Tour will travel a 740km route to Newcastle, aiming to raise $40,000 for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.
In Tamworth, they will donate two pulse oximeters and two EZ-IO drill kits; the latter can be used to place a needle into bone within 10 seconds, to give urgent medication and fluids.
Children's ward and special care nursery nursing unit manager, Terese Madden, said the hospital had some of them already; they were "amazing" but had a limited lifespan.
She recalled one incident with a 14-month-baby who was fitting and "very unwell".
"We were unable to gain access [intravenously] and we were able to get the EZ-IO out and ... get some fluids in," Mrs Madden said.
"Without a doubt, it saved the baby's life."
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The pulse oximeters allow nurses to record and track arterial oxygen levels accurately and efficiently.
The C3 Church-linked cyclists, all from out of the area, will also donate to hospitals in Bathurst, Maitland and Newcastle, to help sick and injured children.
The Humpty Dumpty Foundation buys life-saving gear for children, requested by hospitals and health services across Australia.
Bound for paediatric, neonatal, maternity and emergency units, each piece of medical equipment is assessed by Humpty's medical sub-committee.
'Seconds count'
This will be Bathurst man Andrew Abel's fourth time on the ride, which is in its ninth year - and he said the mission was close to home.
His 12-year-old son had acute jaundice in the days after he was born and a "massive hemorrhage" after a tonsillectomy two months ago, both incidents requiring emergency treatment.
"People in the city ... miss the fact that a lot of regional hospitals aren't fully provisioned in the way they are in the city," he said.
"Seconds count when children are dying ...
"Every year, you come across stories - that's the rewarding part: you know you're having a material impact."