About OARA

The Oesophageal Atresia Research Auxiliary (OARA) was founded in 1980 to help families of both newborns and older patients with oesophageal atresia (OA), a disease affecting the oesophagus and stomach in infants.

The auxiliary was made up of a committee of parents and friends of children living with the condition, with a primary focus on family support. Its initial set up was also supported by one of the pioneering surgeons of OA in Melbourne, Nate Myers.

OARA funded the setup and maintenance of the Nate Myers patient record database. The database details all initial patient admissions and treatment and is the biggest in the world for this condition, creating a unique record available to the medical fraternity worldwide for referral and research.

OARA began the funding of two TOF OA nurses employed by The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne in 1996, to ensure that parents are well educated in the condition, introducing them to OARA and update & maintain the Nate Myer’s Database.

Today, OARA continues to grow and support a range of programs in Australian hospitals and research into OA/TOF.