Pregnancy is a time of hope — of quiet kicks, nursery plans and daydreams about who your baby might be. For the first half of Rhiannen’s pregnancy, despite terrible morning sickness, those lovely things were all she thought about.

Then at 20 weeks, out of the blue, everything shifted.

An amniocentesis revealed a secret: their baby girl had 22q11 Distal Duplication Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that few had heard of and even fewer could explain.

Suddenly, Rhiannen found herself in a world of genetics, rare disease and scenario planning.

Baby Evanna arrived in July 2021, two weeks early, and spent a week in the care of Neonatal ICU.

Since birth, little Evanna has faced more hospital admissions than most adults will in a lifetime. From dislocated joints to dangerous respiratory infections, Evanna’s childhood has been shaped by needles, machines, IVs and scans.

In the first half of this year, Evanna was admitted to hospital four times. Her family’s life revolves around the health service they are very grateful for, but it is a life no one saw coming.

In 2025, Canberra Hospitals Foundation’s fundraising is united under the theme Out of the Blue, because health emergencies don’t wait for the right time. Instead, they arrive uninvited — in the middle of the night, halfway through a pregnancy, during any ordinary day. They don’t discriminate, and they don’t warn. They strike out of the blue.

Rhiannen and Evanna’s story is just one example of how your support will catch a family as they fall. Rhiannen says the Foundation has helped in innumerable ways, from the neurodiversity trolley to keep Evanna busy, to a simple toothbrush when a visit to emergency turns into an admission.

This year, you can be part of two key events:

• Can Give Day: On Thursday 11 September, donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling your impact for local patients and families.
• The Big Wig Challenge: On Friday 17 October, support Canberra’s boldest community leaders as they take the plunge for a great cause.

Because health emergencies come out of the blue.

Give a little. Help a lot. Visit canberrahospitalfoundation.org.au to get involved.