Today’s Caring For Kids Radiothon raises money for the IWK Health Centre.  This is THE children’s hospital for the Maritimes.  This year our focus is to replace the fleet of 19 anesthesia machines.  These machines perform three key functions:  delivering anesthetic gases to keep patients asleep, monitoring patient vital signs, and providing life support during surgical procedures.

You’ll be hearing from patients, parents and staff about the IWK all day.

 For me, it’s a little more personal.

My brother, Dwayne, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 2 ½.  I remember Mom practicing on an orange to learn how to inject his daily insulin needles.  Dwayne’s sugars were often too high and I remember he was sick a lot.  He spent many days at the IWK and Mom and Dad made the trip from Yarmouth to Halifax, and were able to stay with him.  That was 40 years ago.

When my son, Jonathan, was 5, he was rushed to the hospital in Windsor with breathing problems.  When I got there he was being loaded into an ambulance to be transferred to the IWK.  I remember Jonathan was pretty scared, and his mother and I were scared too.  Once at the IWK we learned he had asthma and he was going to have to stay there for a few days while his blood oxygen levels returned to normal.  He celebrated a birthday while at the IWK and missed his first school Christmas concert.  Santa made the rounds and gave him a small gift.  Jonathan played in the playroom and brought movies to his room.  It became an adventure and he loved it!  I remember I was able to sleep in his room so he wouldn’t be alone.

The staff was incredible.  They made us feel comfortable in our home away from home.  And they made a 5 year old smile and forget he was in the hospital.

I hope you can give today.  1-800-595-2266 or iwkfoundation.org