One Ventilator Can Help Care for Both Adults and Newborns
Published Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Taylor Dewal, Registered Respiratory Therapist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, with the donor-funded ventilator that can provide life-saving respiratory support for both adults and newborns.
Ventilators are one of the most critical pieces of equipment at the Hospital. These machines help patients breathe when they cannot breathe on their own.
"This is life-saving equipment for critically ill patients," said Bruno Tassone, Operations Coordinator for Critical Care and Respiratory Services.
Supporting that care every day is a donor-funded ventilator that can be used for both adults in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
As you can imagine, ventilators work differently for adults than newborns for one obvious reason: lung size. Ventilators need to deliver precisely the right volume of air for the size of the patient to be effective and, in the case of newborns, avoid injury.
What makes this ventilator unique is its flexibility. While newborns don't often require ventilation, the Hospital must always have one available when they do. This ventilator can be used in the ICU and moved to the NICU when needed, providing added flexibility and capacity for patient care.
In other words, purchasing this one ventilator is almost literally like purchasing two.
"A ventilator is one of those items that you need now, not later," Tassone said.
Thank you for supporting the Health Sciences Foundation through donations, Foundation events, and Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket purchases that help make outcomes like this possible. Your generosity continues to help healthcare teams provide life-saving respiratory support for both adults and newborns when they need it most.