Sandra Schmirler Foundation Provides $10,890 for Youngest Patients

Published Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Sandra Schmirler Foundation Provides $10,890 for Youngest Patients

Giulia Pilato, Registered Nurse, showcases the new syringe pumps that will be purchased with the funds from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation. They will provide safe administration of fluids, especially for at-risk children and for high-risk medications.


(Thunder Bay, ON) – With the City of Thunder Bay originally set to host the Scotties Tournament of Hearts this month, there was much excitement in the air for curling fans. Sadly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event had to be rescheduled for February 2022. However, despite the lack of curling, there was still some ‘on-the-button’ news for Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.

Thanks to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, who provided a grant of $10,890, the youngest patients at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will have access to two brand new syringe pumps in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “Infants require very accurate monitoring and administration of fluids, and using syringe pumps will allow us to provide safe administration, especially for at-risk children and for high-risk medications,” said Giulia Pilato, Registered Nurse. “It’s about providing our patients with the safest environment possible.”

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre serves the entire region of Northwestern Ontario with a population of over 250,000 – the largest land mass with the most disbursed population in the province. Within it, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a level 2C nursery with 14 critical care beds, providing care for newborns requiring intensive care immediately following birth, and critical care for infants up to the age of three months.

“We are thrilled to be able to support the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre Foundation again this year,” said Ian Cunningham, Chair, Sandra Schmirler Foundation Board of Directors. “These funds helped purchase equipment that is saving the lives of babies born premature and critically ill, giving them the chance to grow up and become a champion like Sandra.”

“Donations like this allow us to provide leading-edge equipment used in providing care and improving outcomes for patients all across the Hospital, including, in this case, infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. With the increasing health issues across Northwestern Ontario, our Hospital is always busy. As a result, our equipment receives a lot of wear and tear and needs to be replaced and upgraded frequently,” said Terri Hrkac, Senior Director, Philanthropy, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. “We’re very grateful to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation for their generosity over the years, including their previous donations to the NICU in 2012 and in 2018, which provided additional syringe pumps and an EEG monitor. We’re looking forward to partnering with them again when the Scotties return in 2022.”   

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Heather Vita
Director, Marketing and Communications
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
Tel: 684-7111
Cell: 631-3793
E-mail: Heather.Vita@healthsciencesfoundation.ca

 

The Sandra Schmirler Foundation sees a future where every hospital NICU has the necessary life-saving equipment to handle any emergency and save the lives of babies born premature and critically ill. With the support from individuals like you, we have given over 4.9 million dollars to fund life-saving equipment in NICUs in hospitals across Canada. To donate or learn more, please visit sandraschmirler.org.

 

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