Spring Racing Lunch to Support Hayley’s Fight

The Murray Bridge Racing Club has confirmed its charity partner for the annual Spring Racing Lunch, with funds raised at the popular event set to support the health battle of young SA woman Hayley Penna. Penna, the daughter of popular horse trainer Danny Penna, is currently in the fight of her life as she battles several serious health conditions, including Severe Autonomic Failure and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which have severely impacted her everyday life. The 25-year-old faces an uncertain future with upcoming surgeries and ongoing care to keep her alive and maintain some quality of life, all of which will place Penna and her support network under significant financial stress.

Penna will be a guest speaker at the Spring Racing Lunch, where a silent auction and several other fundraising initiatives will help to support her ongoing healthcare needs. Another guest speaker at the Spring Racing Lunch will be top jockey turned media star Simon Marshall, who will take time out of his busy broadcast schedule in Melbourne to make the trip to Murray Bridge. Marshall is central to Racing.com’s spring coverage and is also a familiar face on the weekly Get On SA program.

The event will also feature the 2025/26 Murray Bridge Racing Club Awards, with the community’s premier horses, trainers and staff recognised for outstanding achievements in the last 12 months.

Tickets, which are $55pp and include a plated lunch and a drink on arrival, can be purchased here.

More information about Hayley Penna’s story is available below.

My name is Hayley Penna. I’m a 25-year-old originally from Ceduna, South Australia, who moved to Adelaide in my late teens to pursue high-level sport and further my education. Some of you may recognise my surname through its long-standing connection to the thoroughbred racing industry. I’ve been fortunate to meet many wonderful people within this community over the years, so it feels incredibly special to stand here today surrounded by people who have chosen to support me during one of the most difficult chapters of my life.

Before becoming unwell, I spent many years in the healthcare sector; working at a rural hospital in high-care dementia and palliative care – before moving across to disability and support services in a school. 

At the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025, my life changed dramatically. I live with two rare conditions: Severe Autonomic Failure, a disorder affecting the body’s automatic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and digestion, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a genetic connective tissue disorder that can affect multiple organs and body systems throughout the body.

Following what should have been a simple respiratory virus in early 2025, my conditions progressed rapidly.

I spent the first six months of 2025 in hospital as my body deteriorated. I lost the ability to walk independently, developed a severe slur and stutter, lost the ability to swallow, began navigating life with seizures, my stomach, bladder and bowels became paralysed, my heart function deteriorated, and I lost 30% of my body weight, leaving me severely malnourished and fighting for my life.

Because my conditions are so rare, my journey to diagnosis and treatment was long and incredibly challenging. I spent months in intensive care and the cardiac care unit, underwent numerous surgeries and procedures, and have had to sign wills and funeral plans with my family at the age of 25. The emotional toll of that experience is something no one is ever truly prepared for.

Today, my life looks very different. I live with a central line, rely on feeding tubes, urinary catheters and drainage bags, use a wheelchair and other mobility aids, and take more than 18 medications every day. My weeks are filled with specialist appointments, intensive rehabilitation and ongoing treatments, all aimed at maintaining my health, preserving my independence and giving me the best possible quality of life.

While I am incredibly grateful for the support available through our healthcare system, living with complex, lifelong illness comes with enormous financial challenges that extend far beyond hospital walls. At just 24 years old, I was forced to access my superannuation simply to survive. After being unable to work for almost two years, the costs of specialist appointments, medications, medical equipment, travel for treatment and everyday living have become overwhelming. I am currently awaiting another attempt at major reconstructive surgery after my first operation was cancelled due to how critically unwell I had become – after being given a 0% chance of survival. During this operation, I will be placed in an induced-coma, have my failing bladder removed entirely. I will face a significant bowel reconstruction and will be left with a stoma bag for the remainder of my life. It carries substantial risks, a long recovery in the intensive care unit, and will permanently change the way I live.

Funds raised will go directly towards the ongoing costs of managing my complex medical conditions. This includes specialist appointments, medications, medical equipment, travel for treatment, out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, and the everyday supports that help me maintain the best possible quality of life. Every contribution will ease the financial burden of living with lifelong, complex illness and allow me to focus on my health, recovery and the treatment that gives me the best chance of rebuilding my future.

Your generosity isn’t just helping with medical expenses – it’s providing stability, dignity and hope during a chapter of life I never imagined I’d be facing. No one can predict when illness or disability may change the course of their life. Although my future looks very different to what I once imagined, I remain determined to use my experience to make a positive difference. My goal is to return to study and pursue a career in health advocacy, ensuring that the voices of patients with complex and rare conditions help shape a more compassionate, informed and equitable healthcare system.