Healthy Living
Alpha, beta, delta and now omicron. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to return to some happier ABCs! Here’s an alphabet of your impact and our gratitude to celebrate 2021:
All kids in Manitoba deserve the very best hospital experience possible. Thanks to incredible support from people like you, the teams at HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM) continue to have the equipment, tools and programs they need to ensure kids get the best care, right here at home.
Bravery beads help kids track their healthcare journeys and the many milestones they achieve along the way. Ethan had 68 weeks of chemotherapy for a tumour on his optic nerve and added a bead for every significant moment. When he showed his class, they couldn’t believe it was taller than he is. Brave, indeed.
Our remarkable community. Despite the pandemic, organizations and individuals #continuecaringforkids, through generous donations, event sponsorships, fundraisers, and activities like Winter’s Autobody’s campaign in memory of Paige for the PICU, and incredible matching gifts by Sharon and Mark Evans, and Bob and Heather Williams to help your contributions go even further.
Research teams across CHRIM continued to make global impact on topics as diverse as allergies, breast milk, COVID-19, diabetes, emergency care, fetal health, genetics (see what we did there?) and more. To learn about these world-renowned teams working to understand disease and develop new treatments, visit chrim.ca.
We are grateful for each staff member and volunteer who works tirelessly, every day – particularly in these ongoing challenging times – to care for all our kids. Thank you!
“Fund the need” auctions at our annual golf tournament and GALAvant virtual gala helped purchase much-needed child-specific surgical tools. Tools that help kids like 2020-2021 Champion Child Brady get back to playing hockey, and Janessa (and her new kidney, Bob) get back to her home community and the outdoors she loves.
In March 2021, the new Children’s Heart Centre opened, thanks to the leadership of Barb and Gerry Price and dozens of remarkable, community-minded supporters like you. What began as a $3.5 million campaign grew to an astounding $17.7 million, which not only built the new heart centre, but also new pediatric catheterization and fluoroscopy labs and specialized equipment, and will now extend remote monitoring capacity across the entire hospital, improving the experience for kids like Max.
In June, we unveiled plans for the new Indigenous Community Healing Space, which will provide families with a safe space for healing while they’re away from their home community and cultural supports. Led by Dr. Melanie Morris, Canada’s first Indigenous pediatric surgeon, the space is being developed in consultation with a group of Grandmothers, families and kids and will feature space for traditional ceremonies including smudging; place for Elders, healers and Knowledge Keepers to support families in care; library space for Indigenous children’s books; and a comfortable breastfeeding corner for mothers. More than 50 per cent of the kids who use HSC Children’s are Indigenous.
Jack, Keira, Liam and Morgan are just a few of the kids who shared their stories this year. We are incredibly grateful for families who reach out to other families who are experiencing the hospital to say, we understand and we support you. Read their stories at Goodbear.ca.
NoName and the Child Life team are experts in helping kids cope with anxiety and illness. Child Life programming is one hundred per cent funded by donors. Music, humour and play therapy all help kids in hospital just be kids.
If you haven’t had a chance to meet Pacey, visit Goodbear.ca/pacey. Recently turned eight, Pacey has already had 28 surgeries and counting. He and his family are great reminders of how important HSC Children’s is for everyone.
We have been quietly working on a transformative campaign that you will hear more about in the coming months…
The Foundation is committed to ReconciliACTION, which includes the creation of an Indigenous Advisory Circle, a group of First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders and Elders who provide wisdom and counsel as we support culturally safe programming, resources, and spaces in the hospital. Members of the Indigenous community have also joined the board of directors and committees to provide leadership across the organization.
Our friends at Sobeys launched their Family of Support initiative for mental health last year. Thanks to staff, customers and Sobeys Foundation, the Telemental Health program is up and running and has meant kids in rural and remote communities can get the urgent help and support they need, close to home.
Valued, wonderful, eXtraordinary. We are grateful for YOU.
In June, Zoë Richardson became the Foundation’s new chair. Under Zoë’s leadership, we will continue to work with our community in support of your children’s hospital.
We look forward to a successful 2022. We know that with your continued commitment and support, our kids will continue to have the best care. Let’s make anything possible.
Stefano Grande is President and CEO, Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.