The Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) Foundation has launched its annual spring appeal, calling on the community to help fund critical neonatal equipment.
This year, it is rallying community support to purchase a Giraffe, an essential piece of neonatal equipment that mimics the womb and helps premature and critically ill babies grow stronger.
In a statement, VJH said an anonymous donor will match the first $20,000 donated, doubling the impact for local families and helping ensure the hospital provides the highest standard of care for its most vulnerable patients.
Dr. Jody Snook, head of the VJH pediatrics department, said that because of donor support, equipment such as the Giraffe helps provide early stability at a critical time for vulnerable babies. “When a baby is born, no parent imagines spending days, weeks or even months in the NICU, waiting and worrying about when they’ll be able to bring their child home.”
“This gives them the best possible start and brings our families one step closer to going home,” she said.
So what are Giraffes?
According to VJH, they are state-of-the-art incubators that stabilize a baby’s body temperature and are equipped with critical infant-sized resuscitation tools.
“They also act as an isolation bay, protecting against infection and managing light and noise exposure, both of which disrupt growth and development in preemies,” VJH said.
“A Giraffe gives our tiniest babies the best start possible,” Kate McBrearty, executive director of the VJH Foundation, said. “When our medical teams told us this is their number one priority to provide advanced care for sick and preterm babies in our community, we knew folks would want to help make it happen.”
Vernon Jubilee Hospital is the third-busiest hospital in Interior Health, with more than 800 babies born there last year, including 10 sets of twins.
“Our community is just awesome,” McBrearty added.
“We’re so grateful to our partners Tims, The Ranch, our generous anonymous donor and everybody who continues to play a crucial role in the ongoing success of our spring campaign. Supporting expecting families and our most vulnerable and tiniest patients harnesses the power of community generosity and brings the best care possible to our North Okanagan region.”
