Greater Victoria firefighters donate funds to help sick kids
Firefighters from across Greater Victoria made a special trip to Victoria General Hospital on Thursday, putting smiles on the faces of sick children with a drive-by in their engines, and donating $25,000 to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation in support of pediatric care.
“We need donations like this in order to provide the equipment,” said Emma Carrick, the manager of Victoria General Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit. “We’ve got the staff, we've got the skill, but we need to have the equipment in order to be able to provide that safe care for patients,” said Carrick.
It’s care that eight-month-old Romy Handy received when she was born just before Christmas. Her mother, Greer Handy, said Romy needed five hours of surgery the day after she was born, but is thriving now.
“The staff here just made everything a lot easier. It was kind of, you know, an unbearable thing to go through that they made possible,” said Greer.
This is the twelfth year that professional firefighters in the region have made the contribution – amounting to a total of $300,000 in donations so far -- that have bought equipment including ventilators and cardiac ultrasound systems for kids. This year’s donation is being used to buy a labour and delivery bed for the operating room.
“There’s not a lot of ICU care for children in the province,” said Carrick. “We take children from all over the Island, and we also take overflow from B.C. Children’s when they’re full.”
Thursday’s donation was personal for one of the firefighters and his family. Taylor and Chelsey Britton’s son, Hayes, was born prematurely. He spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit at VGH.
“Just a very scary time and just feeling very supported by the staff [who] are amazing and just knowing that they have the life-saving equipment if they need it,” said Chelsey Thursday.
It’s that life-saving equipment that allows Victoria General Hospital to operate one of only two pediatric ICU's in B.C., allowing newborns, young children and their families to get the critical care they need, without the extra stress of having to leave Vancouver Island.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
BREAKING Supreme Court affirms constitutionality of B.C. law on opioid health costs recovery
Canada's top court has affirmed the constitutionality of a law that would allow British Columbia to pursue a class-action lawsuit against opioid providers on behalf of other provinces, the territories and the federal government.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Irregular sleep patterns may raise risk of heart attack and stroke, study suggests
Sleeping and waking up at different times is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, even for people who get the recommended amount of sleep, according to new research.
Real GDP per capita declines for 6th consecutive quarter, household savings rise
Statistics Canada says the economy grew at an annualized pace of one per cent during the third quarter, in line with economists' expectations.
Nick Cannon says he's seeking help for narcissistic personality disorder
Nick Cannon has spoken out about his recent diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, saying 'I need help.'
California man who went missing for 25 years found after sister sees his picture in the news
It’s a Thanksgiving miracle for one California family after a man who went missing in 1999 was found 25 years later when his sister saw a photo of him in an online article, authorities said.
As Australia bans social media for children, Quebec is paying close attention
As Australia moves to ban social media for children under 16, Quebec is debating whether to follow suit.