SUNNY'S 10TH TRANSPLANT ANNIVERSARY

The Good Friday Appeal has been raising funds for sick kids and their families at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) for 95 years.

Through the generosity of the community, the RCH continues to deliver world‑class, comprehensive care.

Every dollar donated supports:

Ground‑breaking research
State‑of‑the‑art equipment
Training and unique patient‑centred care programs

In just one year (2024–2025), hundreds of thousands of kids were cared for:

85,415 appointments for urgent and essential care in the Emergency Department
53,450 admissions to a ward, where children and young people received expert, compassionate care
15,106 surgeries, paving the way for brighter futures
An incredible 456,000 outpatients seen — that’s an average of 1,250 appointments a day

By supporting this fundraiser, you are part of the impact, helping children live their best possible lives.

Please help make a difference and share this page with your friends, families, and networks.

Thank you for giving for the kids.

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My Updates

Join our fundraising events!

Thursday 12th Mar

This March marks 10 years since our daughter Sunny received her liver transplant. Thanks to the incredible team at RCH and the generosity of a donor family who made the brave decision to give the gift of life, Sunny was given a second chance. 10 years later, she is now a healthy girl who loves playing basketball. To give back and help pass the baton of life to the next children in need, we are organising a fundraising event for the Good Friday Appeal. We would be so grateful for your support. 娘サニーが肝臓移植を受けて、今年の3月で10年になります。あの時、ロイヤルチルドレンズホスピタルの医療チーム、そして臓器提供という尊い決断をしてくださったご家族のおかげで、娘は命をつないでもらいました。 10年経った今、元気に大好きなバスケットボールを楽しめるまでに成長しました。 その感謝を形にするため、そして次の子どもたちへ命のバトンをつなぐために、Good Friday Appeal のファンドレイジングイベントを行います。もしよかったら、ぜひご協力いただけると嬉しいです。 Event details: Day1: 📅 Sunday 15 March 12:30 – 2:30pm 📍Basketball Court Eltham Leisure Centre Day2: 📅 Friday 3 April  11:00-12:00 📍Basketball Court 　Eltham Leisure Centre How you can support: 1. Basketball Shooting Challenge Entry $5~ Take your shots and win small prizes! 2. Bake Sale Homemade treats and drinks available for purchase 3. Raffle -  Win some fantastic prizes. 4. Online Donation If you can’t attend the event, you can still support Sunny’s fundraising online. Check out our Bio. We are also looking for businesses or individuals who would like to donate vouchers, goods, or services for our raffle prizes. 10 years ago, Sunny’s life was saved by the kindness of others. Now we hope to give back and help pass that kindness on to the next children who need it. Thank you so much for supporting Sunny’s challenge and this important cause.

please join - our instagram account

Sunday 8th Mar

Hi! We have just created our instagram account for this fundraising and some events for the future. Please follow us on @jonesgirlsforgood

https://www.instagram.com/jonesgirlsforgood?igsh=MW04ajA1ZnQydzd4Zg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Miracle school start for twins Sunny and Vivian Jones

Friday 27th Feb

Article by Herald Sun (Ja 28th, 2019)

Identical twins Sunny and Vivian Jones haven’t always looked alike and for most of their short lives they would not have been able to swap school uniforms.

Vivian has been taller and heavier than her sister, an ever-present reminder of what Sunny otherwise should have been.

Crisscross scars across Sunny’s belly tell a story of two liver transplants and a rare disease diagnosed at just 10 weeks old.

But in new school uniforms, which their mother, Minako, has struggled to get her girls to take off, this week the pair will look the same as any other children in the prep playground at Eltham East Primary, and Sunny will look just the same as her sister.

“They are really excited about starting on Wednesday. They couldn’t stop wearing their uniforms,” Mrs Jones said.

“I told them, ‘You are going to get it dirty’.”

Despite the possibility of having to wash new uniforms before school even starts, Mrs Jones said “every moment is unbelievable”.

There’s still the hospital visits once a month and medication four times a day.

“But we really couldn’t see the future like this, I’m just happy to get to this point and treat Sunny like a normal kid,” she said.

The twins will be among 82,000 Prep students starting school from tomorrow, with holidays ending for 992,400 children across the state.

At just ten 10 weeks old, doctors at the Royal Children’s Hospital found Sunny was suffering from biliary atresia, where her liver didn’t properly drain bile, causing it to fail.

“It was like a science experiment,” dad Trent said.

“Here was the healthy twin and then ... they’re not really identical anymore.”

As they grew old enough to walk, Vivian stood almost a head taller than her sister.

Sunny’s skin and eyes had a tinge of yellow and her appetite was poor.

And as they neared their third birthday, Sunny was deteriorating.

She had a surgery called the Kasai procedure where her bowel was attached to her liver to try and give some drainage.

But the surgery didn’t work and Sunny was put on the waiting list for a new liver.

Sunny received a transplant, but her body did not accept the organ, and then she received a second donation that brought her back to health.

Two years later, the little girl has grown to the same size as her sister.

“Actually, she’s 3kg heavier,” Mr Jones said.

“She’s a little gobble guts.”

No doubt making up for lost time.

Right now, 1433 Australians are waiting for an organ transplant.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/miracle-school-start-for-twins-sunny-and-vivian-jones/news-story/eea60c3afa377089410e349298f9b101

Sunny had a liver transplant

Wednesday 25th Feb

Article by Donate life:

At 10 weeks old, Sunny was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare inflammatory condition affecting new-born babies, that causes a blockage in the bile ducts, the narrow tubes that transport bile to the gallbladder and small intestine.

Sunny’s procedure to bypass the failing bile ducts was unfortunately unsuccessful, and she urgently needed a liver transplant.

While a donor was found, Sunny suffered post-transplant complications and the transplant failed. Doctors put Sunny back on the waitlist.

“I’ll never forget the stress,” says her father, Trent. “It was just, ‘Sh*t, are we going to lose her? How’s this going to go?’ The second time, it was panic stations looking for a donor.”

Fortunately, Sunny received a second liver transplant within weeks and made it home for her third birthday. She is now nine years old and enjoying life as a typical kid. Sport is her favourite school activity.

“I think her sister walked about six months earlier than her. She was so, so delayed, but now she’s bigger than her twin and winning races at school. It’s like we’ve come full circle,” Trent says. “We’re very lucky.”

Our journey - From Birth to Now (Mother's diary in English & Japanese)

Wednesday 25th Feb

One of our twin daughters Sunny was born with a severe illness. At just 10 weeks old, her condition was discovered, and she underwent immediate abdominal surgery the next day. They told us it was "partially successful," but she remained fragile—unable to walk until she was 18 months old. Her skin, eyes, and teeth were all yellow with jaundice. Her limbs were thin, while her belly was swollen. Her skin was so delicate that even the slightest scratch would cause her to bleed. It was a cycle of drinking/eating and vomiting. I will never forget the pain of being told that if left untreated, she wouldn’t survive past the age of two.

難病で生まれた双子の片割れは、10週目で病気が見つかり翌日に即開腹手術。部分的に成功したと言われたけど身体は弱く、18ヶ月まで歩く事もできなかった。皮膚も目も歯も全部黄疸が出ていて、手足も痩せ細ってお腹だけぷっくり出て、皮膚も弱くちょっとかすっただけなのに血で溢れた。食べれば吐くの繰り返し。放っておくと2歳まで生きられないと言われた時の辛さは今でも忘れられない。

She spent most of her early life in the hospital. Just before she turned three, her condition worsened, and she underwent her first liver transplant. When we were told that the transplant had failed, I broke down in tears, crying out in her hospital room without caring who saw me.

ほぼ病院で生活していた娘だけど、とうとう数値が悪くなり3歳手前で1回目の肝臓移植。それが失敗だと聞かされた時は、人目を憚らず病室で泣き叫んだ。

Six weeks later, she had her second transplant. After the surgery, we were told that she couldn't go outside for three months. If she could survive for a year, her chances of long-term survival would be much higher. We followed every precaution, determined to keep her safe. At one point, she had to take medication almost 20 times a day.

それから6週間後に2回目の移植。移植後3ヶ月は外出禁止、1年もてばその後の生存率は高いと言われ、必死で守った。薬の数も一日20回はあったと思う。

Her recovery was slow but steady. In kindergarten, even running was a struggle. She had to be hospitalized for months due to transplant rejection. When she started primary school, she was still behind physically, and her academic level was about a year behind her peers. But she was an incredibly determined child. No matter how slow she was, she had the patience and focus to see things through to the end.

そこからは、幼稚園の頃は走るのもやっとだったり、移植の拒絶反応が出て数ヶ月入院したりはあったけど、ゆっくり確実に回復していった。小学校に入る頃にはまだ身体的にも遅れがあったし学力も一年ほど遅れていた。ただ、ものすごい頑張る子だった。勉強も運動も、遅くても最後までやり遂げる忍耐力や集中力は備わっていた。

By third grade, she had finally caught up with her peers. Soon after, she began to shine—placing in the top ranks for cross-country, getting selected as a track athlete, and showing her growing strength. And now, nine years after her transplant, she plays basketball, cricket, and lacrosse at a competitive level. When she was chosen as her school’s House Captain, I couldn’t hold back my emotions—I was overwhelmed with gratitude and pride.

そして小学校3年生ぐらいにはやっと周りに追いつき、そこからはクロスカントリーで上位に入ったり、陸上選手に選ばれたりと、活躍が目立つようになった。そしてそして移植から9年経った今、バスケやクリケットやラクロスで活躍できるほどの能力がついた。学校でハウスキャプテンに選出された時は、感動と感謝の気持ちが抑えきれなかった。

To her twin sister Vivian, who has been by her side every step of the way.

To our youngest Jasmine, who brought endless smiles to the Jones family when we were struggling.

To our family, who supported us throughout her battle.

To my high school friends and the Japanese community staff, who folded a thousand paper cranes and prayed for her.

To my best friends, who wrote heartfelt messages on a card and sent them to us.

To the friends who cooked and brought us meals during our hospital stays.

To those who continuously encouraged us with warm words.

To the incredible doctors and nurses at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

And to the two donors who gave my daughter a future, and their families (I am beyond words grateful).

… And to all the friends and their families who are now sharing this wonderful time with my daughters—

I want to shout out a huge **THANK YOU** to each and every one of you! There are no words to express how grateful I am for your presence in our lives.

ずっと側で支えてくれていた双子の片割れビビアン、ちょっと凹んでいたジョーンズ家に沢山の笑顔を運んでくれた末っ子ジャスミン、闘病中に支えてくれた家族、千羽鶴を折って祈ってくれた高校時代の友人やジャパニージーのスタッフ、色紙に頑張れメッセージを書いて送ってくれた親友、入院中によくご飯を作って持ってきてくれた友達、温かい言葉で励まし続けてくれた友人達、王立子ども病院のドクターやナース、娘に未来を与えてくれたドナーのお二人とそのご家族、そして今この時を娘達と一緒に青春してくれてる友達やその家族全員に、大声でありがとうと言いたい！皆さんの存在には感謝しかない。

We Jones family will never forget this gratitude, and as always, we will keep bringing the energy!

ジョーンズ家、この感謝の気持ちを決して忘れず、これからもご期待通りはじけます！

Recent Donations

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Jones Girls For Good

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Naomi Mckinnon

You are inspiring us all!!

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Anonymous

Congratulations on your great fundraising effort Sunny and family!

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Koban

あなたが元気に成長していることが本当に嬉しいです。そしてあなたの姉と家族と全ての医療関係者の弛まぬ努力に心から感謝しています。みなさん、本当にありがとう。 I am so happy to see you growing up healthy. And I am deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of your sister, family, and all the medical professionals. Thank you all so much.

$22.58

Keira And The Tan Family

Thank you so much for sharing your story—this is such a wonderful and meaningful cause!

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Harley Gardner

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Cath Mclardy

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Erin Elderhurst

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Anonymous

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Anonymous

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James Pritchard

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Anonymous

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Paul Donahoo

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Lou Dixon

Well done on your organising!!

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Sophia Kokkolis

Good on you girls! Happy Easter

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Mariko Akagi

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Stella Z

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Suzette Floyd

You’re doing an amazing job fundraising for such a great cause. Awesome effort!

$33.15

Felix Rac

Keep up the good work.

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Hunter H

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Bruce Eppinger

So happy to donate to the Jonesboro’s fundraiser

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Masahide Ogata

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Elissa

Great job girls ,

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The Graham's

An amazing and inspiring story!

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Phil Foudoulis

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Francesca And The Murphy Family

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Marie Briody

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Bella Lomulder

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Mitch Ellis

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Hazel Echo

Tammi Sheppard

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Chris Roberts

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Anonymous

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Dana Klas

Well done!

Anonymous

$211

Trent Jones

Thank you RCH

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Anonymous

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Anonymous

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Elena Foudoulis

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Anonymous

Awesome job

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Naho Ito

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Jay Radici

Sammy bball

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Naho Ito

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Anonymous

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Sylvie Gs

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Sylvie Gs

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Jay Radici

Bball comp

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Jasmine

I love my sisters

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Sylvie Gs

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Trent Jones

Thanks for saving Sunny RCH. And thank you to her donors. It means the world.

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Lindie Graham

Great job Sunny!

$20

Jessica Guillot

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Eyles Family

A great cause, go Jones fam ♥️

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Lauren Ansell

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Travis Hall

You’re a superstar Sunny ❤️

$4.04

Vivian Jones

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Francois Guillot

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Jasmine Jones

Thank you to the RCH!

$11.65

Anonymous

$14.98

Anonymous

$54.12

Rachel Lewis

$7.27

Anonymous

$43.60

The Wynnes

What a remarkable story Sunny! Jones girls for good, for change, for inspiration! From Ollie & Emmy

$52.92

Junko Michael Kazuki

奇跡をありがとう！心ばかりだけどより多くの人たちの笑顔に繋がりますように。。。

$22.58

Natalia Orel

Thank you for sharing your story and for your kind little hearts - go jones girls! 💜🩷💛

$33.15

Leanne Gardiner

$158.25

Aguilar Family

Supporting an amazing cause and the incredible work of the Royal Children’s Hospital. Honoring Sunny’s inspiring story and the unwavering strength of the parents and siblings whose love and bravery are truly inspiring. Love from Scarlett, Elsie, Sarah and Jorge.

$54.12

The Hardimans

Such an amazing story Sunny and Viv! The fastest basketballers on the court, you would never know you had an incredible start to your lives. It has never slowed you down!

$33.15

Gavin Zauch

$52.92

Abbey Pope

Well done Sunny, Viv and Jasmine for raising this money for such a great cause. Love Abbey, Vanessa, Michael, Ben and Will

$54.12

Zoe Vdb

Dear Sunny, thank you for being such a great friend. I love being able to experience many fun times with you and Viv. You are such a strong person x

$64.67

Mama Mia Cool Banannas

Radical

$11.65

Bradley

$6.36

James

$54.12

Matt Reardon

ありがとうございます。こんなに素晴らしい病院を支援してくださって。私は赤ちゃんのときにその病院に命を救われたので、いつも感謝しています。☺️

$22.58

Richie

Go Girls!

$33.15

Masa

$106.12

Carolyn Jones

I remember this day . We are so blessed to have these girls .

$33.15

Yuki Kawai

おめでとうございます🎊 これからも元気で楽しそうにバスケットをしてる姿を見れるのを楽しみにしています！

$75

Peter Rogers

$33.15

Yukiko Iguchi

When I first met Sunny, she was already full of energy, so I remember being surprised to learn about the transplant. May you continue to support each other as a family and spread your energy to those around you. 出会ったときにはもう元気いっぱいのSunnyちゃんだったので、移植のことを知って驚いた記憶があります。これからも家族で支え合って、周囲に元気を分けてくださいね。

$63.23

Naoko Coghlan

ほんの気持ちですが、少しでも役に立てたら嬉しいです。ゴールを達成できるよう応援しています！

$106.12

Tim Carter さん

My life was saved too by the kindness of others. So it’s important that we give back when we can. Congratulations to you Sunny on 10 years post surgery! Heart felt wishes to you for all the family for the amazing years that yet lie ahead🌟

$106.12

Emi Matsumoto-polak

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SUNNY'S 10TH TRANSPLANT ANNIVERSARY

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My Updates

Join our fundraising events!

please join - our instagram account

Miracle school start for twins Sunny and Vivian Jones

Sunny had a liver transplant

Our journey - From Birth to Now (Mother's diary in English & Japanese)

Recent Donations

Jones Girls For Good

Naomi Mckinnon

Anonymous

Koban

Keira And The Tan Family

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Anonymous

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Anonymous

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Anonymous

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