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(Submitted photo/Lorrie Bunko, HDHF)
Equip to Care Radiothon

Humboldt District Hospital Foundation raises over $70k for pediatric cribs

Apr 3, 2023 | 4:45 PM

The Humboldt District Hospital Foundation (HDHF) held its annual “Equip to Care” radiothon this past week, raising money for local healthcare needs.

A total of $73,239 was acquired through the fundraiser, during the event’s four-day stretch.

“We are very grateful for the support we get from the donors throughout the district and beyond,” said HDHF Executive Director, Lorrie Bunko. “This hospital, we value it and our district wouldn’t be what it is if we never had an expanded health care facility like we do.”

HDHF’s radiothon also had a special partnership this year, courtesy of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation (JPCHF).

The JPCHF gave a $10,000 matching donation to the HDHF on its last day.

“We were just amazed that they reached out to us, it was a huge help, the community responded and we were able to achieve that goal,” explained Bunko.

“It means a lot that provincially, they acknowledged that, as it’s important to them too to keep families as close to home as they can. They can’t handle all the kids, they need those rural beds, so families can stay close to home and then the more urgent cases, that’s what the provincial hospital is there for. It was a great partnership and it just makes sense.”

The funds will go toward two pediatric cribs first, as the hospital has seen a rise in the number of pediatric patients and the beds have been identified as a critical need to meet demands.

Typically, pediatric patients are too small to sleep in regular inpatient beds, so the funds will provide them with comfort and allow their parents to have their child in a hospital close to home.

Meanwhile, the rest of the money will go to specialized freezers for pharmacies, palliative care chairs for families that have patients in palliative care, and vital signs monitors for cardiac equipment.

“I think all hospital foundations in their communities and in the province are family, we work together, and we help one another,” said Brynn Boback-Lane, CEO of the JPCHF. “Especially now that we have a provincial children’s hospital, we know that keeping kids closer to home, as close to their home as possible, is possible with partnerships.”

“To help Humboldt achieve their goal, getting pediatric equipment into their hospital serves the entire province’s child population even better, and working together we are stronger,” she added. “It’s a win-win for the Humboldt Hospital, the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, and more importantly for the children and families that we all serve.”

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