The Chronic Illness Peer Support (ChIPS) program at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) has been transforming the lives of young people aged 12 to 25 living with chronic illnesses for 30 years.

Thanks to the Good Friday Appeal, ChIPS provides a supportive community for those navigating the complex world of chronic illness. It offers young people the opportunity to connect with each other through organised activities and twice yearly camps. There are currently 135 young people registered with ChIPS and up to 700 young people have participated in the program since 1993.

Reflecting on the ChIPS program’s incredible journey, Harry Lengelsen-Brown, Program Manager of ChIPS shared: “When people from other hospitals across the world hear about the ChIPS program, they say, ‘How have you managed to do that?’.” 

“The program is such a simple idea when you think about it: here’s a bunch of young people supporting each other, let’s put them into a program and see what happens. I wish the supporters of the program could meet some of the young people and hear from them and their families what this has meant for them because it’s genuinely life-changing.” 

The longevity of ChIPS is not just measured in numbers but in the countless stories of resilience, hope and transformation. 

“A particular story that stands out to me is a young person who said she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for ChIPS. When she first joined the program, she was in a very dark place. And now, she’s finished her degree and is just killing it,” Harry shared. 

As the ChIPS program continues to go from strength to strength, its future is full of possibilities. 

“Thirty years ago, they said, ‘Let’s listen to the young people and what they want, and we’ll do what we can to make that happen!’. And that’s still what we’re doing now, so as long as we remember that we can’t go wrong,” said Harry. 

“I want to say a massive thank you to all the ChIPS supporters! It’s hard to capture in words what ChIPS means to the young people that have been in the program.”