February 25, 2021

One year of COVID-19: You still made incredible things possible

It’s been a difficult and different year, as COVID-19 has changed our world in so many ways.

Last March, Saskatchewan saw its first case of COVID-19 and a state of emergency was declared, reshaping life as we once knew it.

Despite the global pandemic, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation continued to receive generous support from donors across the province.

Here are just a few amazing ways donors like you helped support sick kids and moms-to-be throughout this past year.

Responding to COVID-19 now and into the future

When the pandemic hit, donors answered the call to help by generously giving to the COVID-19 Hospital Fund, which was developed in response to the pandemic and the pressures it places on our health care system. The fund provided a number of new tools including ear guards to support frontline health care workers at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital who may have experienced discomfort or damage to the ears from prolonged use of masks.

Discovering new possibilities  

This past year, donors played a significant role in helping our province’s medical community conduct vital research to help kids and families. Last spring, $345,600 was granted to support three important made-in-Saskatchewan research projects. Researchers are currently examining important topics such as supporting caregivers of children with mental health and addiction disorders, improving care for kids with arthritis, and exploring breastfeeding practices of refugee mothers.

Holidays at the hospital

The Child Life program has transformed the hospital experience by offering support for young patients and their families to help reduce the anxiety and stress of a hospital stay. The program also helps provide a sense of normalcy for children, such as providing creative solutions to holidays for kids who have to spend special occasions in hospital. This past year, generous donations allowed kids to enjoy many different holiday traditions such as Easter baskets, reverse trick-or-treating, a Santa visit and Valentine’s Day cards, crafts and cookies.

Spreading sunshine for sick kids

The first-ever Day of Sunshine Challenge in June showed how small monthly gifts add up in a big way. The 24-hour monthly donor blitz raised $62,279 thanks to 110 donors, with 50 of them being new monthly donors. These funds helped purchase an incubator for at-risk babies at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.

Giving kids the tools to play

With many children’s activities cancelled, this past summer the foundation provided funding for 150 sensory play kits for KidsFirst Saskatoon to promote outdoor play, which has been linked to improving mental health and overall wellness. Thanks to incredibly generous donors like you who see the value of this vital work, children developed important developmental skills and families were able to create fond memories and strengthen bonds through the use of the kits.

A first for kids needing kidney care 

People from all across Saskatchewan pitched in to help kids needing kidney care by raising $641,157 in just two short days during Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Radiothon last November. Donations from the event are being used to help open the very first pediatric Hemodialysis Unit for kids right here in Saskatchewan. As COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of keeping families close to home, this new unit will help do just that when hemodialysis is the only option or while awaiting a kidney transplant.

Helping kids and families during the holiday season

Thoughtful donors like you helped make the holiday season a little brighter as a total of $160,064 was raised through the Making Spirits Bright holiday giving campaign. People chose from various catalogue items, with the top three items supporting a NICU transport monitoring system, toys to help kids cope with hospital experiences, and diagnostic equipment for Saskatchewan’s only pediatric sleep lab.

Working together for a brighter tomorrow

As we approach the one-year mark of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, none of this would have been possible without you and the other 8,435 other people and organizations who have generously given to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation this past year. Of that, more than 2,500 were new donors, helping make a lasting impact in maternal and children’s health care in our province.

“This has been a very challenging year, however despite this, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation is incredibly grateful for the compassion and contributions that enable us to financially assist in getting immediate needs met within Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. COVID-19 has presented a number of challenges, and given the pandemic, this has further highlighted that Saskatchewan’s moms-to-be and sick children need us more than ever,” said Brynn Boback-Lane, President and CEO of Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“We hope this message conveys to each donor our genuine gratitude for helping us throughout this past year. There is still much ongoing work that is required to ensure Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation can continue providing the much-needed assistance for Saskatchewan’s sick children and immediate maternal needs. We simply could not do this great work without you,” Boback-Lane said.

This year ahead you can ensure that kids from all four corners of the province receive the best care possible by giving today.