Founded eight years ago following the devastating loss of their beloved son, Hunter Alfred Stratton, the Hunter Alfred Stratton (HAS) Foundation was born out of grief and a desire to help others. Hunter passed away at just 11 years old, after spending three years in palliative care in Adelaide, South Australia.
Motivated by their experience, Ella and Jarrod Stratton established the HAS Foundation to support families navigating paediatric palliative care, offering guidance, compassion and practical assistance during an incredibly difficult time.
We recently had the privilege of hearing from Ella Stratton, co-founder and director of this remarkable foundation.
Reflecting on the early days, co-founder Ella Stratton says the foundation was never part of a long-term plan, but rather as a way to channel grief into something meaningful.
“It started with a desire to put pain into action,” she says. “We didn’t know how it would evolve – we just knew we wanted to do something positive.”
Ella says there remains a widespread misunderstanding of paediatric palliative care.
“People often think of palliative care as something that happens at the very end of life. But for children and their families, it can span years. It’s important to focus on living and enjoying life during that time, not just preparing for the end.”
To support families from the moment they enter the system, the HAS Foundation provides carefully designed care packs to those referred to palliative services at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.
“We wanted the packs to feel like some semblance of comfort at what’s likely the darkest point in these families’ lives, so they know they’re not alone.”
Each pack includes practical and comforting items, such as toiletries, drink bottles and activities for siblings, along with supermarket vouchers to help ease financial pressure during extended hospital stays.
Support continues well beyond the hospital. Each year, the foundation distributes Christmas care packs to more than 100 families, including supermarket vouchers to help with the cost of living. It also recognises significant and often difficult milestones, sending care packs to parents experiencing their first Mother’s Day or Father’s Day after the loss of a child.
The foundation also runs bereavement workshops, offering tools such as breathwork, journaling and meditation to help parents navigate grief between counselling or clinical appointments.
“We’re not there to replace clinical support,” Ella says. “We’re there to supplement it and ease some of that burden for everyone going through this experience.”
At its core, the foundation is guided by a simple message inspired by Hunter’s life: live for the moment.
“It’s about helping families create memories and recognise how precious that time together really is,” she says.
Behind the scenes, the foundation has also benefited from the support of professional partners, including our Adelaide office, Nexia Edwards Marshall, who have helped establish strong governance and financial foundations.
“I was a fish out of water starting this,” Ella says. “I’m a mum who just wanted to help other families.”
Nexia Edwards Marshall has supported the HAS Foundation from its early stages, providing guidance on governance, financial management and compliance. Team members have also contributed their time and expertise, including board representation and pro bono auditing services to support accountability and transparency.
“That support has been invaluable – especially in the early days when we couldn’t have afforded it.”
Beyond professional services, our Adelaide office has also helped amplify the foundation’s story, raising awareness of the challenges faced by families navigating paediatric palliative care.
Together, this support has enabled the HAS Foundation to continue its mission, ensuring more families feel supported, understood and able to create meaningful memories during the most difficult times of their lives.
