THE Torie Finnane Foundation’s (TFF) Mount Kosciuszko summit climb attracts walkers and hikers of all ages and levels of fitness.

Many take part in the event in memory of a loved family member or friend, others join in to assist in raising funds for a very worthy cause.

In 2025, all are on a mission to improve maternity services in rural hospitals.

Midwife, Torie Finnane (nee O'Hare), died in 2020 at the age of 34 after contracting bacterial meningitis while in Orange Hospital, just days after giving birth.

Snowy Monaro residents are being encouraged to be a part of this special family-friendly fundraising initiative taking place in our own backyard on Australia Day, Sunday January 26, to honour and celebrate Torie Finnane's life and legacy and to recognise health workers who help women and babies when they need it most.

Top of Oz for Torie, is being held to provide funds for one of the foundation's key projects this year - the purchase and installation of a foetal monitoring machine in Southern NSW.

Donations and sponsorship dollars will go towards the $275,000 needed for the equipment ($250,000) and for integration costs ($25,000) with the region's current database.

"This project is the perfect example of why our foundation was established," foundation chairman and brother of Torie, Geoff O'Hare, said.

"I am immensely grateful to all who have contributed to TFF."

Midwifery district manager for Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSW LHD), Rebekah Bowman, will be walking in the Top of Oz for Torie 2025 for the first time.

"I know dozens and dozens of midwives, obstetricians, nurses, families, and friends are travelling hours the day before to take part, from Moruya, Bega, and Queanbeyan to name a few.

"Torie Finnane was an exceptional midwife who grew up in the Snowy Monaro region. Torie worked in Sydney before returning to the country. This walk is not just to fundraise for equipment for Southern NSW maternity services. It is to acknowledge Torie and all that she cherished to enrich maternity services in regional communities. We will be walking up the mountain celebrating Torie and all our regional and rural midwives who day after day provide exceptional, kind, compassionate and wise care to women and their families.

"SNSW LHD is excited to be partnering with the foundation and the important work it does for regional maternity services in NSW. SNSW LHD looks after the health and wellbeing of communities in the South Coast, Southern Tablelands, Great Dividing Range and Snowy Mountains. Around 1800 women birth in Southern NSW maternity sites, and another 1200 birth in Canberra, who receive antenatal and postnatal care close to their home," Ms Bowman said.

"Women receive exceptional maternity care in Southern NSW rural areas with midwives and GP obstetricians and the wider team. The rural sites are not as busy as the large metro sites and women and families receive respectful personalised care.

"A challenge that women face is if their pregnancy becomes complicated, and they need to travel for any of their care to a larger hospital with specialists and neonatal intensive care units.

"An essential part of providing the right care in the right place at the right time is monitoring the heart rate of unborn babies. Cardiotocography (CTG) assesses the wellbeing of the baby during the pregnancy and during labour. CTGs assist in the identification of signs of the unborn baby being compromised and to minimise adverse newborn outcomes.

"CTGs require hourly reviews by two clinicians trained in CTG analysis. In small sites where only one practitioner may be available, women may need to travel for this monitoring. As part of an obstetric care plan, women with a higher risk may need to have a CTG twice a week to ensure the baby is well. In rural areas especially, that can be a significant disruption to their lives, including financial impact of travel," Ms Bowman said.

"Being displaced from home during one of the most important moments of your life can create hardship and reduce support networks. This is particularly worse if the woman needs to be transferred in labour.

"While we have good systems in place within the Southern NSW district and ACT Tiered Perinatal Networks, it can create stress for all involved. Using the same platform as our tertiary referral hospitals will ensure the communication and handover of critical medical information enables a seamless transfer between sites.

"Having an integrated centralised CTG system will allow real time communication around all the health service network. Monitoring can be viewed across the District's maternity sites, offices or remotely from home, private practice, or a command centre."

Ms Bowman said when centralised CTG systems have been implemented in other areas of rural Australia, evaluation showed:

Improved care of women with complex pregnancies;

Open lines of communication between sites;

The multi-disciplinary and team approach reduced fatigue levels of rural midwives;

Empowered staff through the linkage of services;

Innovative thinking;

Reduced financial and environmental impacts, with thousands of kilometres of travel saved; and

Existing resources/staffing were utilised.

"Importantly, providing care closer to home supports women in their choices and supports best practice," Ms Bowman said.

Last year's event attracted 204 registered walkers - one of the local families taking part was the Clear family.

"It was a fantastic first experience for our family," Patrice Clear said after completing the walk.

"I loved meeting Liam and Torie’s children as well as catching up with Geoff and Caddie. I spent my childhood with Torie in Delegate.

"We were best buddies growing up, we were the only two girls in our school year and lived in each other’s pockets. I have beautiful memories of camping, horse riding, skiing and laughing a lot with Torie!

"I reckon she would be stoked with the turn out this year and so impressed with all the little legs that pumped all the way up that mountain!"

Event registration is at www.toriefinnanefoundation.com.au

For $65 (kids) and $75 (adults), you will receive: TFF water bottle, t-shirt and trucker hat, barbecue post-walk, Thredbo lift pass and the chance to make a lasting impact on healthcare in rural communities. Each step save lives in rural NSW.

To donate visit www.toriefinnanefoundation.com.au