The Good Friday Appeal will inject $3m into regional Victorian health services, helping sick children access world-leading care closer to home.

The investment will support critical projects including the upgrade of lifesaving equipment, and additional training and scholarships for healthcare professionals.

Good Friday Appeal chairman Penny Fowler said: “This funding supports the hospital’s mission to extend its reach across the state and helps ­regional children and their families receive world-class care close to where they live, reducing an enormous stress for so many.” Mrs Fowler will join Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, Good Friday Appeal executive director ­Rebecca Cowan and Royal’s Children’s Hospital chief executive Dr Peter Steer in Ballarat on Monday to announce the boost.

The funds will be allocated to more than 30 regional health services within five ­regions: Barwon South West, Gippsland, Hume, Grampians and Loddon Mallee.

Over three years, more than $8.5m has been distributed to regional Victoria. Ms Cowan said: “These funds will support vital projects aimed at enhancing ­patient care and equipping regional hospitals with much-needed resources.” In little Tallulah’s case, at just two weeks old, equipment purchased through funding from the Good Friday Appeal saved her from “death’s door”.

“She was making this little sound when she was breathing,” dad Anthony said. “We know now that was her starting to struggle for breath because her heart was beating so quickly for so long.” A visit from a maternal health nurse prompted him and mum Matilda to take Tallulah to Ballarat Base Hospital’s emergency department.

By the time the Yendon family arrived at hospital, ­Tallulah was quiet, pale and cold – her body was in shutdown mode. She was put in an infant resuscitation cot and the lifesaving equipment kept her breathing.

Tallulah was diagnosed with an abnormally fast heart rate, or supraventricular tachycardia.

Her heart had to be “reset” by injecting medicine directly into her blood stream but doctors were unable to access a vein and instead had to drill into a bone on both her legs.

After Tallulah’s heart rate was stabilised, she was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital’s cardiology ward.

“She was so close to death’s door,” Anthony said.

“But as bad as that was, in 24 hours she was almost back to being herself again. “Even the team in the cardiology ward were like, ‘Well this is pretty miraculous.’” After being sent home, Tallulah experienced a further five episodes in two weeks, one in which her heart rate reached 300 beats per minute. Now, Tallulah is a happy one-year-old.

“There’s hope she grows out of the condition … over the next 12 months we’ll just have to observe what happens,” Anthony said. “It doesn’t impact her quality of life

in any way shape or form.”