The Sandra Schmirler Foundation made a $10,000 donation to the North Bay Regional Health Centre’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) over the weekend at the Masters curling event.

The money will be used to purchase two Phototherapy Units for the NICU to care for infants with jaundice.

“Newborn Jaundice is caused by a build of bilirubin in the blood because the newborn’s liver isn’t mature enough to remove it quickly enough from the body. Jaundice is common in newborns and, in particular, those born prematurely. Jaundice will appear as a yellow colour to the skin and the whites of the eyes, drowsiness and difficulty feeding. If untreated “it can have other negative effects, including brain damage in severe cases” said Kim Carter, Manager of the NICU. “With a high prevalence of multiple and premature births in the North Bay region, the two new phototherapy Units are vitally important to help our infant patients at a critical time.

Phototherapy Units help babies clear the bilirubin from their system. Phototherapy means “treatment with light”. The light changes the bilirubin to a form that can be passed out of the body more easily.

This is the second major donation the Sandra Schmirler Foundation has provided the local hospital.

In 2018, their $35,000 donation supported the purchase of a feeding pump and isolette for the NICU.

Sharon Howson’s son Alec was born in 2012. Weighing 3.5 lbs and, like most pre-term babies, he was showing signs of jaundice. Alec spent about two months in the NICU, where his jaundice was treated effectively with a Phototherapy Unit.

“It was as an incredibly emotional experience. Alec had a number of medical issues as a pre-term baby, including jaundice. The Phototherapy Units were wonderful, they were easy to use, were very non-invasive and cleared Alec’s jaundice up very quickly so that it didn’t become a life-threatening complication,” said Howson. “As a recreational curler, I’ve supported the Sandra Schmirler Foundation and am inspired by her legacy. It is wonderful to know that Sandra Schmirler is helping babies and families like ours, right here in our community.”

Sandra Schmirler was a three-time Canadian and world curling champion whose team won the first Olympic gold medal in curling. Steve Doty, a Director of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation Board, shared his memories of Sandra, pointing out that she helped us understand that life is precious and can be taken away in an instant. “Sandra believed that we must prioritize the very simple things in life that are near and dear to us all, in particular our family and friends,” said Doty. The Foundation has funded millions of dollars of life-saving equipment to hospital NICUs in every province and the territories in Sandra’s name.

“Our community is grateful for the support of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation. This donation and Sandra Schmirler’s legacy are ensuring infants have the best possible care, close to home. Thanks to donations like this, the stress on parents and families dealing with a complicated birth are eased, and that is a wonderful gift,” said Tammy Morison, President and CEO of the NBRHC Foundation.

(Photo submitted – Joanne Laplante, Sharon Howson and Steve Doty present donation to Tammy Morrison)

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