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'Jupiter' and 'Andy' are the new names for the tower cranes on site to build the Sydney Children's Hospital Stage 1 and Minderoo Children's Comprehensive Cancer Centre (SCH1/MCCCC), thanks to the creativity of two special patients.  

The SCH1/MCCCC project team ran a 'Name the Cranes' competition in May, open to patients, their siblings, and the children of staff. The two winners were announced at a community event in July as six-year-old Ari, for the name 'Jupiter', and three-year-old Andy, for the name 'Andy'.  

Ari's mum Jacquie said having Ari name one of the cranes holds a special meaning to his family.  

Without a doubt, something that got Ari through (his time at the hospital) was finding a love of the planets and space," said Jacquie, Ari's mum.   

"At age two, he could name all the planets in order. He spent many hours watching videos about the planets, soaking in every fact he could and sharing these with the doctors and nurses."  

"Jupiter is the largest planet, and so reflects the size and importance of the crane. He is excited to have been chosen to name the crane and visit the site," she said.   

Andy's interest in construction and diggers inspired his entry. His mum, Kate, said Andy was pretending to dig a hole with one of his toy diggers when he found out one of the cranes would be named after him.   

"His face lit up. It was more in facial expression than his words because he was too busy digging. We can see the lights on the cranes from where we live," said Kate.   

Andy loves watching over the construction site through the hospital windows; it has helped him calm down before blood test needles or waiting for his procedures and getting through some of the long days while staying on the ward," said Andy's mum, Kate. 

 

"I think Andy will be blown away when he sees his name, so he can really feel part of the project that he adores watching," added Kate.  

Almost 100 'Name the Cranes' entries were received, with submissions assessed by a judging panel consisting of SCH1/MCCCC Project Director Cathy Lovell, Health Infrastructure Senior Project Director Kevin Maclennan, SCHN Director of Clinical Operations Alan Porritt, John Holland Group Project Lead Lizzie Cox, and 14-year-old Isabelle, a former patient.    

While the judges had difficulty picking from the dozens of creative names and colourful drawings submitted, SCH1/MCCCC project director Cathy Lovell said the two winning names represented what the project is about â€� our patients.   

We were thrilled by the quality of entries and the evident interest in the construction project among our patients," said SCH1/MCCCC project director Cathy Lovell.  

"Ultimately, the two winners stood out to us because they really linked the project back to our patients and their experience at the hospital."   

The winning names and some of the creative drawings entered will be proudly displayed on the construction site for all to see and admire, and the towering cranes will be a feature of the Randwick skyline as the new building takes shape.