Giving Tuesday Wishes Become Reality
Published Monday, July 13, 2026
(L-R) Giulia Pilato and Filipe Pereira, Registered Nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, with the new isolette funded through Giving Tuesday.
I say this every year, but Giving Tuesday really is my favourite day of the year at the Foundation.
I love watching our community come together and seeing the impact they can make in just 24 hours.
Last December, our Giving Tuesday goal was to raise $30,567 for a new isolette in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which was one of the items on our Christmas Wish List. Thanks to the generosity of our donors – along with a matching gift from an anonymous local family – we reached that goal by 1 p.m.
The giving didn't stop there!
When we announced a stretch goal to fund a specialized birthing bed for the Emergency Department, our community stepped up again. By 7 p.m. that goal had been reached, too.
When the 24 hours were up, Giving Tuesday donors had raised a total of $73,512.65. That was enough to fund both pieces of equipment.
Now, I'm so happy to share that the new equipment is here and already making a difference for patients and families in the Hospital!
So, what does each piece of equipment do?
The new isolette is helping provide a warm, protective environment for premature and medically fragile babies in the NICU. Often described as a "womb away from womb," it helps support these tiny patients during the crucial first days and weeks of life while giving families the opportunity to remain connected to their newborns. (I personally know the importance of isolettes, because my twins spent 3 weeks in our amazing NICU after they were born.)
The new birthing bed is helping provide greater comfort, dignity, privacy, and safety for patients receiving care in the Emergency Department. It supports examinations and procedures for pregnancy-related concerns and other gynecological emergencies, helping patients feel more comfortable during vulnerable moments.
Megan MacDonald, Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at the Health Sciences Centre, with the new birthing bed funded through Giving Tuesday.
This is your support coming to life: giving babies the best possible start and providing greater comfort for women in the Emergency Department.
One of my favourite parts of Giving Tuesday is finding out the equipment has arrived and patients are benefiting from it. It's a wonderful reminder that when our community comes together, we can make an incredible difference in the lives of patients and families.
Thank you to everyone who donated on Giving Tuesday. Thank you to the anonymous local family whose matching gift inspired so many others to give. And most of all, thank you for helping turn two Christmas wishes into reality.
Article by Lindsay Doran-Bonk, Manager, Digital Engagement, Health Sciences Foundation