Tabitha Lollar and Jeff Phillips with their children Emmett, Aida and Maeve. Aida has received care from the pediatric program multiple times in the past.
Tabitha Lollar and Jeff Phillips with their children Emmett, Aida and Maeve. Aida has received care from the pediatric program multiple times in the past.
Credit
Peter Jeffrey

The Kingston General Hospital Auxiliary, with sponsorship from Kawartha Credit Union, today launched its 2015 ‘Show Children You Care’ Teddy Bear Campaign to support the purchase of patient-care equipment for the pediatric program at Kingston General Hospital.

This year’s campaign runs from November 9 to December 21. The goal is to raise $20,000 – or 200 bears at a cost of $100 each – to purchase four CARESCAPE V100 monitors. These monitors will help front-line staff perform quick and accurate physical assessments on patients in the Pediatric Unit.

“A major contributing factor to providing Outstanding Care, Always is the ability to provide our clinical staff with the most up-to-date equipment at the bedside,” says Kellie Kitchen, Pediatric Program Operational Director. “We are very grateful to the KGH Auxiliary and the Kawartha Credit Union for their annual commitment to ensure the highest level of care is delivered to our pediatric patients.”

Taking part in today’s launch were twins Aida and Emmett Phillips, their big sister Maeve and their parents, Tabitha Lollar and Jeff Phillips. Aida was admitted to the KGH Pediatric Unit on several occasions over a four year period. Her mother says the highly-trained staff and specialized pediatric equipment in the unit made all the difference.

“Our wee Aida represents the hundreds of children admitted to KGH who are prospering because of the care, education, dedication and professionalism that this hospital provides,” says Lollar. “The equipment needed to take care of sick children is costly, but life- saving, and you can’t put a price on that. This campaign allows the community to make a difference in the life of a sick child.”

The campaign also helps make a child’s stay in hospital more comfortable by providing them with a plush teddy bear when they need it most.“By sponsoring a bear for $100, you enhance patient care and ensure that a child receives a fuzzy friend when they’re in need of reassurance,” says Auxiliary Teddy Bear Chair Heather Breck.

When a bear is ‘sponsored,’ it is adorned with a tag acknowledging the name of its donor(s) and takes its place on the bough of the festive trees in the historic Watkins Lobby at KGH. Sponsors receive a charitable receipt upon request and a companion bear as a keepsake, which can be donated back to hospitalized children.

“At KGH, we are committed to our young patients and their families to ensure they receive quality and family-centred care during their hospital stay,” says Dr. Bob Connelly, Head of Pediatrics at KGH, Hotel Dieu and Queen’s University. “It is only with the generous support from the community that we are able to achieve this goal.”

Kawartha Credit Union’s donation ensures that funds raised from the sale of the bears go directly to hospital equipment.

There are a number of options for sponsoring a bear:

  • Drop by the Volunteer Office on Connell 1 at Kingston General Hospital
  • Download a donation form the KGH website.
  • Call the KGH Auxiliary office: 613-549-6666 ext. 6352 or e-mail: KGH Auxiliary Assistant Theresa Hill at: @email
  • Pick up a donation form at your local Kingston Kawartha Credit Union branch

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