AMHERST – For the 19th year the Cumberland Health Care Foundation hopes to bring a little light into people’s lives at Christmas.
The foundation is set to kick off its annual Light the Way fundraising campaign that raises money to support the purchase of medical equipment for the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre.
“Light the Way is a lovely way to remember loved ones and celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season,” foundation managing director Gwen Kerr said. “It’s also the time when we look for help from the community to purchase important medical equipment for the hospital.”
Proceeds from this year’s campaign will assist the foundation in purchasing an ultrasound point of care visualization tool for the maternity unit at a cost of $87,168 and a chair that converts to a stretcher for ophthalmological purposes, which costs $11,000.
“For our families expecting a new addition, having the best tools available in the maternity unit is important to ensure that the pregnancy is developing as it should,” Kerr said. “In the labour and delivery setting, ultrasound is used to visualize the fetal position, evaluate amniotic fluid, visualize placenta location, evaluate fetal cardiac activity and assess fetal progression. At the regional hospital, one visualization ultrasound is used extensively in the emergency department and is only intermittently available for our obstetrics team. With more than 200 babies born here each year it’s important for the maternity unit to have an ultrasound available to them at all times.”
Throughout November and December people can purchase a light, wreath, snowman or angel and dedicate it in someone’s memory or in honour of someone special to them. Some people also make donations just because they support the work of the foundation.
New this year, people can purchase ornaments or make a donation online at chcfoundation.com .
“For the first time people can purchase their lights or make donations online and we’ve already had a number of people make their donation this way,” Kerr said. “It’s really simple to use and one of the benefits is it immediately emails the tax receipt to the donor.”
The ophthalmological chair allows the surgeon to choose optimal positioning from horizontal to upright to achieve the best possible outcomes.
The lights and ornaments will be lit up during a ceremony at the hospital on Wednesday, Nov. 22 beginning at 5:30 p.m. There will be animated lights dancing to music, singing, children’s activities, refreshments and a visit by Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.
The lights and ornaments will remain lit throughout the holiday season for hospital patients, staff and visitors.
Last year, more than $104,000 was raised in support of a new wander management system for Alzheimer’s patients and a portable X-ray machine for the emergency and intensive care departments.
For more information, contact the foundation at 902-667-5400 ext. 6210.
Donations of $5 or more received prior to Dec. 31 are eligible for 2017 tax receipts.
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
