Photo Credit: East Kootenay Foundation for Health
East Kootenay Foundation for Health is raising funds to bring a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Cranbrook.
EKFH has kicked off it’s “A Warm Embrace” fundraising campaign with a $10,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Cranbrook.
Executive Director Brenna Baker says the campaign’s goal is to bring in technology and trained professionals to treat pre-mature and complicated births at East Kootenay Regional Hospital.
Baker says an NICU includes specialized equipment and healthcare professionals to treat premature newborns or those born with health complications.
“We area regional hospital here, we are lacking some things at our regional hospital,” Baker says. “And a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a very important piece of the puzzle. It’s an exciting project, we’re hoping to raise the money within a year.”
Currently, premature newborns or those with health complications are airlifted to Kelowna or Vancouver for treatment.
EKFH hopes to raise $1.8-million in one year to support the project.
The NICU project has already received over $3-million from the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District and the BC government.
View more information from East Kootenay Foundation for health below:
East Kootenay Foundation for Health has kicked off the “A Warm Embrace – A Big Campaign for our Tiniest Patients” campaign this summer with a $10,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Cranbrook.
The campaign plans to raise $1.8 million in a year towards building a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital.
The NICU has advanced technology and trained healthcare professionals to give special care for the tiniest patients at the hospital, something currently unavailable in the East Kootenay.
Newborns who are premature or who have health complications must be airlifted to Kelowna, Kamloops or Vancouver to receive the specialized life-saving care they need.
The new NICU in Cranbrook will provide a specialized facility and health care professionals for these newborns, saving parents and families the stress and financial strain of long stays away from the East Kootenay and allowing new lives to start off close to home.
Funds raised through “A Warm Embrace” will make a significant difference in the lives of these precious little ones and their families.
The Province of BC and Kootenay East Regional Hospital District have also committed funds towards the $3.16 million project completion that will transform lives for the vulnerable infants, giving them and their families a brighter future.
This new facility will include state of the art equipment.
Heidi Romich, President of the Rotary Club of Cranbrook, is absolutely thrilled to start donations for the campaign, saying, “This will be life changing for so many families that no longer have to travel out of the region to receive care before and after the birth of their newborn babies. My family personally experienced this as my daughter and son-in-law had to spend over a month in Calgary with the birth of my grandson. It added so much extra stress and expense at an already stressful time. Our Rotary Club members are so proud to support the EK Foundation for Health in raising funds for this much needed addition to our EK Regional Hospital! This takes us another step closer to having the services that truly make us a ‘Regional Hospital’!”
There are two more very important fundraisers coming up that will support “A Warm Embrace”, The Boston Pizza/Northstar Motors Annual Charity Golf Tournament and The Rockies Car Show.
Please visit RockiesCarShow.ca for more information.
To find out more information or to donate to “A Warm Embrace”, please visit EKFH.ca or call 250-489-6481.
– With files from East Kootenay Foundation for Health
– Brenna Baker, East Kootenay Foundation for Health executive director
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Nathan.Leigh@pattisonmedia.com
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