Children and babies go blind every day
From the moment they met, it was obvious that he was a special doctor who conveyed empathy, compassion and was very experienced.
At eight years of age Shelley Kline was inflicted with an autoimmune disease that impacted her right eye significantly.
What started with a devastating uveitis diagnosis escalated into a fight to preserve her sight, debilitating pain and the difficult decision to ultimately have end-of-the-road surgery.
Kline and her family were introduced to Professor Frank Billson AO, one of a handful of ophthalmologists who knew anything at that time about her rare condition.
From the moment they met, it was obvious that he was a special doctor who conveyed empathy, compassion and was very experienced.
They never could have predicted he would be by her side during her 40-year medical journey.
At 12 years old, Kline was also diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Kline, now 51 and still experiencing orbital complications and pain, has tried to find meaning behind the long and hard journey and turn it into something positive.
“In 2021 I established the Professor Frank Billson Research Scholarship at the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne.”
The scholarship is awarded every two years and supports clinicians from the RCH’s ophthalmology department to undertake vital work.
This will lead to early detection and translate to advanced treatment.
This endowment is the first of its kind for the RCH ophthalmology department.
“He has left a profound impact on my life,” Kline said.
“We travelled to Sydney for appointments with Prof. as I liked to call him, whenever we were at a crossroads.
“I wanted to do something to express my gratitude for his care over four decades and to honour his wonderful legacy to the field.
“I wanted to do this while he is alive, as he is in his 90s now,” Kline said.
Her initial idea was for Billson to come down from Sydney to the RCH to walk the red carpet and present the scholarship.
The RCH is where his career in ophthalmology first started.
He is originally from Melbourne and was head of the ophthalmology department for seven years in the 1960s.
Due to COVID, this event never happened.
The RCH Foundation set a target of $250,000 for the endowment to kickstart and research to begin.
Kline had never really fundraised to such a high level before, but she has had an interest in children’s health for many years.
“I have actually doubled that figure and raised in excess of $500,000,” she said proudly.
She held off fundraising after October 7, not wanting to take away from philanthropists giving to Israel or Jewish causes.
“Then I came to the stark reality that children and babies go blind every day and have visual issues,” and she raised a significant amount of money.
“My philanthropy work is my passion.
“They should not miss out on the benefits of research.
“I am so grateful for the generous support from my donors who are predominantly Jewish.”
The Hebrew number for life is 18 and multiples of this number are considered good luck and are often used in gift giving.
Kline set herself a target just a few weeks ago of 100 people donating $180 each.
She sent a WhatsApp invitation to 200 women she knew. More than 100 women attended her home that Friday.
“I’m excited by the challenge of fundraising and proud of what I have achieved so far,” she said.
“I love meeting and talking to people and telling them about Prof. Billson and the impact he has had on my life.
“The most important lesson he taught me is to never let my condition define me.”
For more information visit rchfoundation.org.au/professor-frank-billson-research-scholarship
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