A Bright Future for BC s Kids

Transcription

1 excellence in child health fund report A Bright Future for BC s Kids Take a look at the health-care journey of a BC Children s Hospital patient to learn how your donation to the Excellence in Child Health Fund makes a difference. thank you for giving bc s children the best chance of a healthy life.

2 life-saving care the difference you make Meet Casey Wright. As a frequent visitor to BC Children s Hospital, Casey has experienced and reaped the benefits of advances in technology, research and equipment funded by your contributions to the Excellence in Child Health Fund. Donors like you help us take care of BC s sickest children. patient Casey Wright age 14 condition Brain Tumour age at diagnosis vital equipment groundbreaking research sunny hill 6 months health-care history: 11 surgeries at BC Children s Hospital to date; chemotherapy as a baby and toddler; rehabilitation care following a stroke at Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children. When you make an undesignated donation to BC Children s Hospital, your gift goes directly to the Excellence in Child Health Fund. The fund supports: $ excellence in child health fund 1. childhood disease research 2. medical equipment 3. staff & family education programs Your gift provides crucial funding for the most urgent health-care needs of BC s children and youth within and beyond the hospital s walls. click on casey to explore his journey through the excellence in child health fund

3 life-saving care Doctors at BC Children s Hospital used surgery and chemotherapy in an effort to shrink Casey s brain tumour when he was six months old. They also installed a shunt in his brain to drain fluid and relieve pressure. Every year, approximately: Casey, six months old, at BC Children s Hospital. 9,000 surgeries are performed at bc children s hospital 250 of these involve neurological conditions excellence in child health fund Gifts to the Excellence in Child Health Fund make treatments like these possible for Casey and thousands of other children.

4 Donations to the Excellence in Child Health Fund helps in the purchase of specialized medical equipment, such as: vital equipment equipment minop neuroendoscopy system $7,010 This system allows surgeons to view the brain through a small hole in the skull and to take biopsies for testing and diagnosis. The system s telescope gives surgeons more light and greater visibility as they work, enhancing safety in their care of children like Casey, who have issues related to their brain and nervous systems. equipment codman icp express monitor & cable equipment ge aisys carestation $11,648 anesthesia machine $90,000 This device monitors the amount of pressure in a patient s brain through a fibre-optic monitor placed on the surface of the brain. For children undergoing brain surgery, a slight change in the pressure inside the skull can have a dramatic effect on their chances of survival. This machine provides critical life support and pain relief to children in treatment. It is essential for BC Children s Hospital caregivers and anesthetists who treat patients who require life-sustaining ventilation and anesthesia.

5 groundbreaking research When he was a toddler, Casey lost vision in one eye due to the effects of the tumour. The pressure on his brain continued to threaten his remaining eyesight. In 2013 surgeons at BC Children s Hospital finally removed all visible traces of the tumour, keeping Casey safe and preventing further vision loss. The advances that made the operation possible came from decades of specialized research, which continues every day at the hospital s research institute. innovations in acute care and technology childhood cancer and blood research $766,000 $448,000 Last year, the Excellence in Child Health Fund provided $766,000 to support researchers investigating acute care for children who need surgery to correct problems with their faces, skulls, blood vessels and more. This work, which engages patients and families in research efforts, generates technological innovations that benefit BC s children while contributing to the training and education of junior researchers. This funding supports researchers, some of who are also clinicians who see patients at the hospital. They re dedicated to improving treatments and finding a cure for children s cancers and blood disorders. This collaboration between research and clinical care gives children treated at our hospital some of the highest survival rates among the world s top pediatric centres.

6 sunny hill health centre for children a stroke Ten days after the surgery in which doctors removed his brain tumour, then 12-year-old Casey suffered a stroke that deprived him of speech and movement on his right side. 3 months of rehabilitation Casey received extensive rehab-ilitation for three months at Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, part of BC Children s Hospital. Every day the resilient youngster worked with Sunny Hill therapists to re-learn to walk, talk and regain his movement. Occupational therapist Kim Magnus with Casey, working on the ipad at Sunny Hill. $55,000 clinical technology Sunny Hill therapists make use of technology and robotics that help children like Casey, who are undergoing rehabilitation to get back on their feet. The Excellence in Child Health Fund helps therapists gain access to tools like ipads, used to test children s cognitive abilities, and the virtual reality technology and robotics used to measure a child s progress. $18,000 compassionate care for children and families In addition to physical health, our caregivers focus on maintaining children s developmental and mental well-being. Your donations help cover the costs of outings and recreational activities for children, giving them the chance to socialize with others away from a health-care setting. Funds also support visits from therapeutic clowns as part of the Therapeutic Recreation program, and assist families with children in treatment at Sunny Hill who find themselves in financial need. Physiotherapist Veronica Naing works on movement skills with Casey at Sunny Hill.

7 Thank you! Your generous donation to the Excellence in Child Health Fund helps our caregivers and researchers continue to give patients at BC Children s Hospital the promise of a better future. Every day, children across the province benefit from advances in research, rehabilitative care and technology. thank you for your thoughtful gift. BC Children s Hospital Foundation th Ave W Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Tel: Toll Free: Fax: