Royal Columbian Hospital helps people from all over B.C., 365 days a year.
Now it's setting aside one day in the hopes that the people it helps will give back.
Oct. 8 is being earmarked as Royal Columbian Hospital Donation Day. Radio stations 93.7 JRFM, 102.7 the PEAK, RJ1200 and RimJhim will be broadcasting live from the hospital to raise funds for major projects, urgent equipment needs, facilitiy enhancements, research, education and more.
A press release from the hospital notes that Royal Columbian takes care of the most critically ill and traumatically injured patients, receiving more trauma patients by air ambulance than any other hospital in B.C.
It is also the only hospital in the province that can treat a pregnant mother and her unborn child if they are involved in a motor vehicle collision or if the mother has a serious heart, renal or neurological condition that requires immediate treatment.
One such woman is Chantal Dueck, who was 27 years old and pregnant when she needed open heart surgery.
Chantal's husband, Steve Dueck, said the experience opened his eyes to what the hospital can do.
"I didn't have a reason to give to Royal Columbian until we found out that Royal Columbian is the only hospital in B.C. that specializes in high-risk maternity and cardiac care surgery. My reason to give is my beautiful wife and our three-year-old daughter," he said in the release.
RCH is the only hospital in the Fraser Health region that provides open heart surgery and minimally invasive procedures known as cardiac catheterization.
"RCH's interventional cardiac centre is the busiest in British Clolumbia and ranks among the largest emergency heart attack revascularization centres in North America," said Dr. Albert Chan, director of cardiac catheterization laboratories and interventional cardiology at the hospital.
Royal Columbian also offers advanced neurosciences and mental health and substance abuse treatment, along with being a UBC teaching campus.
"Government's commitment to the redevelopment of RCH will equip us to continue to provide world-class patient care and services and enhance the working environment necessary to retain, recruit and teach physicians and staff," said Adrienne Bakker, president and CEO of the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, in a press release. "Together with our partners the government of British Columbia, Fraser Health and you, our supporters, we look forward to building for the future. Please support us on October Donation Day."
To make a donation to Royal Columbian, call 604-310-4000 or visit rchcares.com.
