Mildura Health Foundation’s very first online donor – well-known publican Laurie Kalms – says he decided to contribute to fundraising efforts following his own recent health issues.
“During the last several months I was pretty crook, I was flown to Melbourne and had two stints in hospital,” Laurie said.
“I’d lost 22kg and initially went to a cancer clinic so doctors could try to work out what was wrong.
“It turned out to be an overactive thyroid. I had to use a walking frame, had a lot of tests and was put on a lot of medications.”
He said his tests have since come back clear and he is doing much better.
However, the experience made him want to give back to those who have their own medical issues.
“I turned 80-years-old recently, and you just never know what’s going to happen. Most people think the world owes them, and everyone seems to want to take but nobody gives back.
“(The patient accommodation) is a good idea, if country people have to come to Mildura for treatment, they usually have their partners with them, so to have somewhere to stay is a good idea.”
Laurie now lives between Mildura, Murrayville and regional South Australia’s Lyndhurst where he still owns the Lyndhurst Hotel and has involvement in the nearby Marree Hotel.
He has been a publican for 48 years, taking over the Murrayville Pub in 1975 before owning numerous other establishments across the Mallee.
If you would like to follow Laurie’s lead and donate to the Mildura Health Foundation, click Here
