Barbara Duble was only two years old when she was rushed to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne because her appendix burst.
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"I don't remember too much," she said. "But I do remember being with the nurse and yelling for my father.
"And mum always said, oh yeah well you never wanted me, you only yelled for your father."
Ms Duble, now 75, had her appendix removed and received a series of blood transfusions. She couldn't remember how long she was in hospital for but said she remembered celebrating her third birthday in the ward.
"I think without the Royal Children's Hospital, I certainly wouldn't be here," Ms Duble said. "I wouldn't have had the life like I've had if I hadn't have gone to the Children's."
The story of her time in hospital featured in a March 1947 copy of the Herald Sun, where the article said 'sad-eyed Barbara' was one of the many children to benefit from the Good Friday Appeal.
Since the Good Friday Appeal started in 1931, more than $345 million has been raised to support research, equipment, education, training and patient centred care programs at the Royal Children's Hospital.
Ms Duble said following her hospitalisation, her family made an effort to raise funds every Good Friday.
"When the appeal was coming up, we used to have a little fete in the backyard," Ms Duble said. "My mother and the people next door and up the street would give us stuff and we would sell it.
"We would sell little crocheted doilies or just little things we had around and then the money would go into the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
"I don't sell anything anymore but I continue to donate to the Children's Hospital."
Ms Duble grew up in Moonee Ponds in Melbourne's north-west before moving to Bendigo in 1973 with her husband.
She has worked at the City Centre Newsagency for the last 21 years and has raised four children in Bendigo. She also has 11 grandchildren.
"I just consider myself lucky," she said. "My husband died, he's been gone now 27 years, so he's missed all of the grandchildren and I've got one great-grandchild so he missed that. And I'm fortunate to have had those times.
"If the Royal Children's Hospital wasn't there, I probably wouldn't be here today."
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Tara Cosoleto
Journalist covering courts and general news at the Bendigo Advertiser.
Journalist covering courts and general news at the Bendigo Advertiser.
