Building hospices across Australia to
Support children with a life-limiting condition and their families.
Our mission
Rio’s Legacy works with services that support children with life-limiting conditions, conducting fundraising activities and advocating for children and their families.
Rio’s Legacy was founded to aid families facing the challenge of caring for a child with a life-limiting condition, guided by the belief that every individual is fearfully and wonderfully made, as written in Psalm 139:13-16.
With only three hospices/respite centres in Australia for children under 18, Rio’s Legacy aims to provide more facilities for families during this difficult time. Additionally, we aim to assist families with children in the intensive care unit at the Sydney Children’s Hospital and support children and young people diagnosed with terminal illnesses and their families at Bear Cottage.
The need for paediatric palliative care in Australia
28,000+ children
are living with a life-limiting condition. 37.5% of these children estimated to be living with complex medical needs that require specialised care and ongoing support.
Only 3 Hospices
Very Special Kids (Melbourne), Bear Cottage (Sydney) and Hummingbird House (Brisbane) out of the 16 needed to support families.
1 Charity
whose sole focus is to assist, help, promote awareness and seek to build more hospices across Australia for children with a life-limiting condition.
How you can help
Donate
We are committed to building a children's hospice, providing a sanctuary of care and support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Your donation today can make this vision a reality.
Get Involved
We are dedicated to supporting children with life-limiting conditions and their families. You can make a difference by joining our mission.
With your support, Rio’s Legacy has been able to
Start Hospice Expansion
Rio’s Legacy aims to build more hospices to support the 28,976+ children and young people (0-21 years) with life-limiting conditions across Australia.
ICU Hostel Rooms
Rio’s Legacy has provided support to over 420 families, offering accommodation for 2,248 nights in ICU and aiding 4 families with emergency accommodation for a total of 8 nights.
Support Bear Cottage
A donation of $80,000 has been made to Bear Cottage, supporting accommodation, bereavement camps, cost of new beds as well as meals for families.
Rio’s story
Rio James Fowler, was born on the 21 July 2016. He was admitted to the emergency department due to reoccurring gastro symptoms. Paediatric doctors later diagnosed Rio with a very rare and terminal condition called arterial vasculopathy disease. Rio’s family spent time at The Bear Cottage, children’s hospice in Manly, before he passed away on the 15 January 2018.
After their experience at Bear Cottage and from getting to know other parents of children with life limiting conditions, Ryan and Karen Fowler became intent on ensuring every family across Australia would have the option to choose hospice care for their children at end of life if needed. From here, Rio’s Legacy was born.
How your donations are allocated
At Rio’s Legacy, we prioritise transparency and accountability in how donations are allocated to ensure maximum impact and benefit for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
News & Stories
A Giant Reason to Run City2Surf
- Campaigns, News
Through this year’s City2Surf, the Giants Foundation and Rio’s Legacy Founder Ryan Fowler are aiming
Mounties Group to build children’s hospice in Western Sydney
- News
Mounties Group and the GIANTS Foundation have announced a partnership to build Mounties Care Cottage,
2024 Canberra to Sydney
- Campaigns
Rio’s Legacy Founder Ryan Fowler will be running 325kms across eight days between Canberra &
Let’s continue building supportive spaces for families
Join us in making a difference where together we can build more hospices for children with life-limiting conditions and their families around Australia.
Let’s put families back together
Join us in making a difference where together we can build more hospices for children with life-limiting conditions and their families around Australia.
