<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Melbourne doctor is swapping the hospital ward for the cockpit, setting off on a solo flight around the country to raise more than $4 million for children with rare diseases.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Associate Professor Andrew Kornberg will pilot a light aircraft across approximately 27,000 kilometres, making 20 stops over 25 days. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Look, it is hard flying day in, day out. But it's nothing compared to what our children and families go through," he said.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/western-australia-kalgoorlie-boulder-stinky-town-notices-an-improvement-after-adding-lime-to-source-of-odour/9aaedbe6-66a5-46a6-86f2-3521881903c7"><strong><span>Stinky town notices an improvement after expert sniffs out source of odour</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span></span></strong><span>The $4.5 million raised will contribute to the establishment of a specialised treatment centre at the Royal Children's Hospital.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We need to have dedicated staff, dedicated beds, dedicated infrastructure and that is the vision," Kornberg said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The proposed facility aims to address the critical need for specialised resources.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-doctor-plane-journey-fundraiser/39bac0e7-1367-48d0-9ca3-12ca9552dd2b" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/qantas-customers-to-recieve-personal-information-about-data-stolen-in-cyber-attack/b62d3b0b-52aa-4a7d-86fb-6a584bacdd45"><strong><span>The email six million Australians should expect from Qantas</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We've got to look after our children. We've got to make sure that there's hope. And this is the hope I'm trying to bring," Kornberg said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's not uncharted territory for the doctor – this is the second time Kornberg has taken to the skies to raise money for sick kids.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The impact of improved access to treatment was highlighted by parents of children who have </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>This article was produced with the assistance of </span></em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/9express/16480c33-636a-461f-9c4f-d0e2522c722a"><em><span>9ExPress</span></em></a><em><span>.</span></em></div></div>