QEH Big Day of Giving Supports Health Care for Islanders Tip to Tip
MAY 17, 2023
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – May 24 is the second annual QEH Big Day of Giving – a day for us to come together and have a BIG impact on the health care of those we love. The QEH Foundation’s Board Chair, John Gaudet, says last year’s inaugural event was an outstanding success and he hopes this year will be just as impactful for the hospital.
“A gift to the QEH Foundation is a gift to all Islanders,” says Gaudet. “We all hope we’ll never need the hospital but if we do, or a loved one does, it is comforting to know that the best possible medical equipment is in place for our dedicated health care teams. That is the power of giving.”
The QEH Foundation strives to ensure medical equipment is never a barrier to quality care at the QEH. Through an outpouring of kindness from people across PEI, and beyond, the Foundation fulfills millions of dollars in equipment and technology needs each year. With a priority list so long, every dollar counts.
“Queen Elizabeth Hospital is the province’s main referral centre’” says Gaudet. “There are specialized services to care for patients from East Point to North Cape and everywhere in between. During our Big Day of Giving we’ll share patient stories that show just how lives are changed through health care at our Island’s largest hospital.”
A series of videos released for the Big Day of Giving will introduce many grateful Islanders who have been touched by care at QEH. Among them is Paul Higginbotham, a QEH ICU registered nurse of 28 years whose newborn granddaughter, Maren, was transported by LifeFlight helicopter from the Prince County Hospital to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital late last year after experiencing respiratory distress at birth. “
I knew that if Maren could just get to the QEH NICU she’d be okay,” says Higginbotham. “Dr. Brown [Neonatologist at QEH] was on the phone with the PCH health care team throughout the night until the helicopter arrived. With a highly specialized team and the right medical equipment, Maren and her family could remain on PEI for her care.”
Ocean 100 and HOT 105.5 will broadcast live from the QEH from 6 AM to 6 PM on May 24th sharing interviews with QEH staff, donors, and patients as well as providing updates on generous donations toward the Big Day of Giving. Big Day ambassadors, including long-time telethon host Marlene MacDonald, will be travelling the Island to collect donations and Foundation staff and volunteers will be prepared to accept phone calls, online gifts, and mail leading up to the day.
Donations made toward the QEH Big Day of Giving will support several provincial specialty areas of the hospital including the Provincial NICU, the PEI Cancer Treatment Centre, and the Provincial Mental Health & Addictions Emergency Room and Short Stay Unit.
Provincial Credit Union kicked off the Big Day of Giving with a donation of $25,000 to purchase five new infant feeding pumps for the Provincial NICU.
To learn more and to donate to the QEH Big Day of Giving visit www.QEHBigDay.ca, call toll free 1-833- 335-0545, visit the QEH Foundation office, or mail your cheque to QEH Foundation, PO Box 6600, Charlottetown PE C1A 8T5.