Over $135,000 Raised for Essential Neonatal Equipment at Vernon Jubilee Hospital
VERNON, BC — Families in the North Okanagan have done it again. Thanks to our community’s remarkable generosity, VJH Foundation raised over $135,000 to purchase a Giraffe, essential equipment for premature and critically ill babies born at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
“We’re truly grateful for everyone who supported our goal of giving VJH’s tiniest patients the best start possible,” says Kate McBrearty, executive director of VJH Foundation. “It was heartwarming to hear donors share stories of grandchildren born early who are now healthy teens; of gifts given to honour family members who worked in VJH pediatrics. But my favourite might have been a cheque simply marked ‘for the Giraffe’ – straight to the point!”
“The hospital touches everyone: our community's personal connections to being born here, or the generations that were helped is what makes this special.”
Giraffes are state-of-the-art incubators that stabilize the baby’s body temperature and are equipped with critical infant-sized resuscitation tools. They also act as an isolation bay, protecting against infection and managing light and noise exposure, both of which disrupt growth and development in preemies.
Giraffes are important because Vernon Jubilee is the third busiest hospital in Interior Health with over 800 babies born here last year, including 10 sets of twins. VJH will now have two Giraffes in the department.
“Our community partners continue to play a vital role in our spring appeal for the Women’s and Children’s department,” says Kate. “This year was no exception – Tim Hortons once again chose us as beneficiaries of their Smile Cookie campaign, and The Ranch 105.7 proudly hosted their Have a Heart Radiothon for the 23rd consecutive year.”
The annual Have a Heart Radiothon, hosted by The Ranch 105.7, raised $7,276 and Tim Hortons’ Smile Cookies raised $34,364. In addition, a generous $20,000 matching gift from an anonymous donor, followed by an additional $10,000 match from Gord and Linda Ball, helped significantly amplify the community’s impact this year.
“We are continually awed by the heart and dedication of our community,” says Kate. “Together, we aren't just meeting healthcare needs – we are ensuring that the next generation gets the strongest, healthiest start possible.”
Thanks to more than $135,000 in community generosity, VJH’s newest Giraffe incubator will provide advanced, life‑stabilizing care for premature and critically ill newborns.
“It was heartwarming to hear donors share stories of grandchildren born early who are now healthy teens; of gifts given to honour family members who worked in VJH pediatrics.
But my favourite might have been a cheque simply marked ‘for the Giraffe’ – straight to the point!
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