Koala Kids Happy Kits were launched in July this year in response to independent research conducted by IMO Analytics on behalf of Koala Kids in June 2022. The research revealed that many families had heard of Koala Kids but did not know who Koala Kids was and what we do.  

Our volunteers had not returned to the Children’s Cancer Centre since being locked out in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic so as well as realising the importance of having a physical presence in the hospitals we also needed a medium whereby we could explain what we did and exemplify the various small things that make a difference.  

Happy Kits are proving a gentle way to introduce families with recently diagnosed children to Koala Kids.  A number of small, practical and basic items for hospital use are packed into a soft, nylon drawstring bag and given to families in the weeks following their child’s diagnosis.   

In each Happy Kit is the opportunity for the family to register with Koala Kids Happy Base (We Believe Happy Helps!). Once registered the family can choose from a large number of items, all practical for hospital use, with the hero item of the kit being American Tourister bright orange suitcase. The suitcase was made available thanks to feedback from families that it would be very useful to fill the Koala Kids luggage with the items they like to have on standby for hospital visits. Our volunteers are delighted to see the Koala Kids cases being rolled out the door by families going home after hospital admissions. 

Special thanks to Thyne Reid Foundation for funding the Happy Kits program for three years, to Samsonite for providing us with the orange cases and Officeworks for their support with lots of smaller items in the Happy Kits.