Zoe Paulo's Story
For those who don't know, the Good Friday Appeal does an Annual Fundraiser which raises money for the Royal Childrens Hospital.
At the age of 16, I developed swelling on my brain and after a few days of thinking it was ‘just a headache’ and trying to ‘sleep it off' it continued to get worse. After texting Mum "I need to go to hospital" because I couldn't talk, I was admitted to the Royal Childrens Hospital. From what I remember, I was admitted almost immediately, and the start of many tests were undertaken. I was then asked my name in the emergency room, and I looked over at Mum in disbelief as I had forgotten it. I said, "what is it again" and tried to laugh as on the inside I was freaking out because I truly in that moment, couldn’t recall my name. From that moment I went into a major seizure. While I was unresponsive and the doctors were unsure what was going on, my parents were given the chance to sit by side and talk to me.
For a few days, they had no answers. We didn’t know why I was so sick and neither did the doctors. I was tested for nearly everything under the sun and that's when I was diagnosed with Meningitis & Encephalitis. It was an infection that made its way into my spinal fluid which attacked my brain causing it to swell and cause the seizure.
After days, weeks and months of appointments I slowly started to feel like me again.
My sickness has changed me but in such an awesome way.
On a random night last year, I was sitting in bed reflecting on my time in hospital and I realised not only did the RCH save my life, but they also save other children’s lives every day too. I continued thinking about it and the care I received from not only the nurses, but the doctors, the specialists, the neurologist’s, the rehabilitation team and every other person I interacted with, was just incredible. When you’re in a position like that it’s hard to think about other people but on this night when I was lying in bed, it hit me. They provide this care to every single other child in the hospital. The care I received was incredible and this is why i decided to start my fundraising journey as a way to give back.
Last year I set a goal of $1,000 and with the encouragement from my friends and family as well as community I changed the goal to $10,000. I arranged an online auction, a colour fun run, and a few events at school with the help of others. I can’t forget to mention the amazing Yarrambat Football club who helped me enormously as well as Ivanhoe Grammar School
We managed to raise an unbelievable $28,000 and this year, my goal is to beat that & I know we can!
We have an exciting addition to this year’s fundraising which is a local fun run!
A huge thank you to everyone who donated last year because without every single person who got involved, we wouldn’t have raised what we did. I hope you can get involved somehow again this year & to those seeing this for the first time, please contribute anything you can to this amazing cause. Every cent counts!
With So Much Love, Zo x
(Ill be promoting the auction and events on my two Instagram accounts soon, which will have all the details on how to register for the local fun run! IG: zoepaulo & zoepauloperformance
Thank you to my Sponsors
$405
Zoe's Gfa Online Auction
$205
Kylie Paulo
$1,000
Impact Refrigeration
$500
K&g Property Improvements
$20
Toby Dodds
$2.14k
Zoe Paulo's Gfa Fun Run
$50
Samantha Lawton
Well done Zoe! 👏👏
$42.20
Northside Nutrition Hub
Extra donations from the raffle on fun run day!!! Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket 🙏🙏❤️
$100
Dean And Andrea
Well done Zoe 💗👏🏻💗
$105.50
Brooke Wagg
$105.50
Dayna Tinline
You are an inspiration Zoe, love you heaps xx
$52.75
Greek On The Street
I know it's not much this time around, but next year will be better.
$105.50
Sobol Family
$211
Brett Paulo
Well done Zoe sorry we couldn't get down there for day.
$105.50
Riley Reading
$26.38
Lorraine Careri
Well done Zoe 😘
$211
Chantelle Vallay
From the community at the Northside Nutrition Hub…we think you’re amazing Zoe. A powerhouse, a humbled, passionate and dedicated human being who’s full of heart!! Well done on another successful year of giving back on so many levels to the RCH Good Friday appeal! 💚💜
$2.08k
Yarrambat Junior Football Club Colour Run
$675
Zoe Paulo's Gfa Fun Run
$10
Nancy Karczag
$50
Chandra Yovanches
$20
Melanie Nipper
$25
Mitch Merkel
$52.75
Mel Lobb
Great work Zoe x
$20
Yarrambat Jfc Under 12’s And U14g
$52.75
Karina Dallariva
So proud of you gorgeous girl
$21.10
Lyn&mick Mclaughlin
You are so brave Zoe. Good on you for raising the funds.
$100
Stacy Saw
YBJF U15s
$21.10
L Gioffre U15 Yjfc
$31.65
Nicole Brakoulias-wain
$31.65
Marg Paulo
$21.10
Belinda Fraser Yjfc U17's
$222.70
Zoe Paulo's Gfa Fun Run
$25
Billy Rogers
$1,000
Yarrambat Junior Football Club
$104.50
Leesa Gathercole
Zoe, you are amazing. Huge effort organising a fun run to raise money for RCH.
$500
Hurstbridge Football Club
$500
Equilibrium Health & Fitness South Morang
$500
Concrete Xray Services Melbourne
$51
Blake Paulo
$100
Sarah Huntington
$10
Rebecca Tyrill
$10
Rhys Proll
$100
Kylie Merkel
$50
Alessia Nardo
$15
Cooper Cameron
$101
Sharon Lamotte
$100
