The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Radiothon starts today, Tuesday Nov. 5, and continues through Wednesday, Nov. 6, raising money for cardiac and respiratory care at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon.
This 22nd edition of the radiothon, presented by CIBC Wood Gundy, features donation matching by major sponsors Gord and Barb Broda. The Brodas will match donations up to $150,000.
Last year, the radiothon raised a total of $1,158,113 — a record-breaking number. Over its lifetime, the radiothon has raised more than $16.41 million.
The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (JPCH) is Saskatchewan’s state-of-the-art centre for acute medical care for kids, from unborn babies to 17-year-olds. It provides life-changing care for the province’s families.
Joanna Ferris was 20 weeks pregnant when she learned there was something wrong with her baby’s heart: He had a life-threatening condition called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA). TGA is present from birth and is fatal without surgery.
“We were really young and we weren’t expecting anything to be wrong with him, and then we found out at 20 weeks that he was going to be born with this heart defect and that he would need open heart surgery. So, it was really a traumatic time and we were very scared,” Ferris remembered.
“Even our family doctor, he’s the first case of TGA that he’s ever seen. ... When we went to Jim Pattison for the first time, it was like the weight was lifted off our shoulders.”
Ferris and her partner learned that the cardiac team at JPCH were experienced at caring for babies with TGA, and there was hope that their son, Ansel, would survive and live a healthy life.
An hour after Ansel was born, he underwent a balloon septostomy procedure, done by two cardiologists at JPCH. Five days later, he underwent successful open-heart surgery in Edmonton.
“The procedure ... basically extended his life until he was able to get the surgery in Edmonton,” Ferris explained. “If he was born in Moose Jaw, he probably wouldn’t have been able to thrive as much as he has, because we don’t have the facilities at our small hospital here in Moose Jaw. So, he would have been an emergency transfer to Jim Pattison.
“But because he was able to be born in-house and they knew everything about his condition before he was born, thankfully, they had everything ready to go for him. I truly believe that because he was born in Jim Pattison ... it really extended his life and it also helped his quality of life, because he’s actually, truly thriving.”
After open-heart surgery, Ansel returned to JPCH, where the cardiac team provided continuous aftercare for the best recovery possible. He’s now a happy, energetic little boy looking forward to his second birthday.
The annual JPCH radiothon is a big part of making sure the hospital has the cutting-edge equipment it needs. In 2023, there were 1,081 NICU admissions and 225 NICU Transports to JPCH.
Today and tomorrow, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., donors can call 1-888-808-KIDS (5437) or go online to pattisonchildrens.ca to donate and to learn more about the equipment you’re helping to purchase.
Dr. Jocelyn Martel specializes in high-risk obstetrics and is the director of the Maternal Fetal Unit at JPCH. The unit is for families who have been identified as having complicated pregnancies and babies with special needs.
“We receive patients and families from all over the province, and we’re lucky to have very specialized care teams and equipment to assist in making the safest decisions and safest care plans for these families,” Martel explained.
She said the equipment the radiothon supports this year will give her team and other specialists at JPCH tools for faster, more accurate diagnosis of heart conditions. On the respiratory side, radiothon-funded equipment will enable gentle ventilation (breathing) for infants with high-risk, stressful breathing conditions.
“Because this equipment has heavy daily use, it requires repair or replacement on a regular basis, and it also requires updating in terms of the technology that’s out there. ... Making a donation to the foundation for this type of equipment will help our growing Saskatchewan families have the healthiest possible outcomes, and we’re all very grateful for that.”