Jillian Harris is pictured with KGH Foundation Board chair Bruce McAuliffe in this submitted photo.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED
March 06, 2017 - 5:01 PM
‘Giving Giggles’ – a campaign to raise $3 million towards specialized equipment and comfort items for KGH’s new Perinatal Unit has been successfully completed! The KGH Foundation announced the final total ($3,283,389) at a celebratory event hosted by Jillian Harris - Love It or List It, former Bachelorette and new mom to Leo (7 months old).
“Our experience at KGH was probably the most intense, raw, crazy, scary, wonderful thing I have ever experienced in my life and I’ll never forget it,” says an emotional Jillian at the celebration event on Monday.
“When we found out that the cord was wrapped around Leo’s neck twice, things went from really exciting to the most fear I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’ve never had a stranger look into my eyes with such support and such conviction, like you have to get this baby out. So we got Leo out and he was healthy and it was the best feeling ever.”
“Kelowna is my home - I’m just so proud to be a part of this community. Thank you for raising so much money for the Unit, for all the babies born in Kelowna and especially for us being able to get little Leo out safely!”
The fundraising campaign was launched in 2015, six months prior to the Unit’s opening on March 6, 2016. Now, one year open, upwards of 1600 babies born, and $3 million raised – KGH’s Perinatal Unit is the most advanced in the Southern Interior Region. Kelowna General Hospital is rated level 2b, meaning it can safely care for ill or premature infants born up to 10 weeks early.
The campaign funds will go towards state-of-the-art equipment and patient care items not otherwise provided through government funding, such as: NICU central monitoring system, wireless fetal monitors, cardio respiratory monitors, NICU cribs, Kangaroo Chairs to support breastfeeding and post-partum infant security system, just to name a few.
The campaign’s success will be felt by new babies and families in Kelowna and around the Okanagan, and the KGH Foundation would like to thank its community of donors for supporting such a worthy cause. Giving changes everything – and now, babies will have the best possible start. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
News from © iNFOnews, 2017