BC Women’s Health Foundation is grateful to Huer Foods for their generous $35,562 donation, made possible thanks to partners and customers who supported their successful Sweet Beginnings campaign. Funds were raised across British Columbia through sales of specially marked packages of Sweet Beginnings candy.
“Supporting BC Women’s Health Foundation and the incredible work at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre has been a true honour for our team,” says Molly Clinton, Head of Marketing at Huer Foods. “When we launched the Sweet Beginnings campaign, our goal was to rally British Columbians around the BC Women’s NICU MRI scanner and help make a meaningful impact. Thanks to the support of our retail partners, collaborators, and everyone who purchased a bag or shared our story, we’re proud to have helped contribute to giving BC’s tiniest patients the best possible start in life.”
Each year, more than 1,200 premature and critically ill newborns from across British Columbia and the Yukon receive life-saving care at BC Women’s NICU. Having access to a dedicated MRI scanner will enable clinicians to capture highly detailed images of newborns, allowing for safer, faster and more accurate diagnoses to guide critical, real-time treatment decisions.
BC Women’s NICU MRI scanner is the first of its kind in Western Canada, providing the tiniest patients with a machine designed specifically for their size and needs. It will have a significant impact on the treatment of critically ill infants in BC through earlier and more precise diagnoses, while enabling parents and babies to stay together throughout the scan.
“We’re deeply grateful to Huer Foods, their retail partners and customers for their generous support,” said Cally Wesson, President + CEO of BC Women’s Health Foundation. “Philanthropy is vital in bringing life-saving technology, like the dedicated NICU MRI scanner, to BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. This equipment will enable the world-leading neonatal team at BC Women’s to provide more precise treatment and exceptional care for the smallest and most vulnerable patients across BC and the Yukon.”
Beyond enhancing clinical care for vulnerable newborns, the scanner will also advance neonatal research. Through the high-quality imaging of infants treated at BC Women’s NICU, researchers at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre and the Women’s Health Research Institute will be able to gain a better understanding of how early-life experiences influence long-term brain and organ development.
The installation of a dedicated NICU MRI scanner further strengthens BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre’s reputation as a national leader in maternal and newborn health, advancing innovation and excellence in care for women, newborns and families across British Columbia.
For more information about BC Women’s Health Foundation’s fundraising efforts to support the BC Women’s NICU MRI, please visit: bcwomensfoundation.org/nicu-mri/