The motivation of the potential to change the lives of many more families was reason enough for Kim Bonnici to take on a challenging 157-kilometre trek.
An intensive care nurse from St George Hospital, Ms Bonnici completed the Kokoda Track all in the name of research for premature babies.
For 12 hours a day trudging through mud and thick rainforest in Papua New Guinea, she walked for someone she knew and strangers she may one day help.
She was one of 11 trekkers who raised money for awareness of the disease necrotising enterocolitis, a condition that affects the intestines.
The mission began when Ms Bonnici’s cousin, Danielle Capaldi and her husband Joe, were preparing to take their newborn premature twins home from The Royal Hospital for Women. One of their girls, Madison, died. The other baby, Charlotte, survived.
They established the Madison Capaldi Foundation and have raised half a million dollars towards research.
The trekkers raised an additional $162,000 for a top-of-the-range incubator and other surgical equipment for the Newborn Intensive Care Unit.
Ms Bonnici, who walked the trek with Mr Capaldi, was the only female participant.
“Joe had talked a lot about Madison on the trip, and everyone wanted to make a difference,” she said.
“Raising this money gives Joe and Danielle a real sense of meaning. They just to want to help other parents, to prevent them from experiencing the tragedy we have. It gives them a lot of purpose in life.”
