GREATER VICTORIA FIREFIGHTERS DONATE $25,000 TO PEDIATRIC CARE AS PART OF TEN-YEAR $250,000 COMMITMENT TO THE VICTORIA HOSPITALS FOUNDATION
Victoria, B.C.—Greater Victoria Firefighters today announced a $25,000 donation to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation in support of pediatric care at Victoria General Hospital (VGH). The gift is part of the Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria Community Foundation’s pledge to raise $250,000 over ten years to fund an array of priority equipment for Pediatric and Neonatal care at VGH. This is the second ten-year commitment of $250,000, renewed by the Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria Community Foundation in 2021 after fulfilling the initial pledge made in 2011.
“We are so grateful for the incredible generosity the Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria has shown over the past twelve years in supporting our littlest patients on Vancouver Island and their families. The support is also felt by the pediatric care teams at Victoria General Hospital who have the equipment needed to do their best work and care for our littlest patients,” said Colleen Bronson, Victoria Hospitals Foundation’s Manager of Philanthropy. “Each year more than 5,000 babies and children receive in-hospital care at VGH and 80% of equipment in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and 60% of equipment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is funded by donors like the Professional Firefighters. Because of them, and the talented care teams in our hospitals, we can care for 98% of those patients on the Island.”
Extra cheer was spread at the small event when firefighters from Saanich, Victoria, Oak Bay, and Esquimalt did a drive-by with their firetrucks for young patients. Children lined the windows of the pediatric unit with handmade signs of thanks, while those feeling well enough came down to the sidewalk to meet with the firefighters. For some of the first responders on hand, the connection to the NICU and PICU is very personal.
“This year my family spent four weeks in the NICU and got to experience firsthand how large of an impact donations by our charitable foundations and other private donors make on the NICU and all the pediatric units,” said Taylor Britton, from the Saanich Firefighters Charitable Foundation. “I’d like to thank everyone in our communities who supported our charitable initiatives this year, as well as the members of our Charitable Foundations who volunteered their own time. It is that support and effort that made this donation possible, and provide the amazing hospital staff here in Victoria with the equipment needed to provide our kids with the best possible care.”
Since 2011 the Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria Community Foundation has donated $300,000 towards life-saving equipment at VGH, including a pediatric cardiac ultrasound system, a pediatric ventilator, and patient monitors. This year’s commitment will help fund the current need for ventilators within both the NICU and PICU. The hospital is the referral centre for maternity and pediatrics on Vancouver Island and accepts transfers from within the province for patients ranging in age from birth to 17 years.
“The Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria are equipping our dedicated teams with the tools they need to provide urgently needed care. We operate one of only four high-level NICUs and one of two PICUs in the province. This means we can offer intensive care for our newborns and children right here on Vancouver Island,” said Emma Carrick, Island Health Manager of Pediatrics and PICU. “On behalf of the many thousands of children whose care you have improved, and those patients and families whose lives you will continue to impact, thank you.”
Greater Victoria firefighters play a significant role in supporting our communities and keeping them safe, and that extends well beyond today’s event. Crews from the Saanich, Esquimalt, and Victoria Fire Departments have traveled to the Okanagan to offer assistance to communities devastated by wildfires. We want to extend our gratitude to them, as well as firefighters from other parts of the province and across Canada, for their care and dedication in helping all of those affected by the destructive fires.
For more information, call the Foundation at 250-519-1750. If you wish to donate to pediatric care, we thank you and encourage you to make an online donation here: victoriahf.ca/donatematernitypediatrics.
