The only thing shining brighter than the sun Sunday morning was the smiles of the children and adults participating in the 18th annual Our Hospital Walk/Run.
An estimated 485 people participated by running, walking, or volunteering at the event held at the North Bay Regional Health Centre raising $118,500 to support the highest-priority medical equipment needs.
Dressed up with wings and a long dress, Faye Gorgitsis was on hand, celebrating her fourth birthday.
Her mom, Sabrina Carlson had many reasons for supporting the event on her daughter’s special day.
“We’ve been here a lot of times. My family has been here a lot of times and I’m glad we didn’t have to go to Sudbury or Toronto to do some of the things we could get done here.”
Since its inception, the community has raised $1.7 million for various projects through the walk/run, having a positive impact on the local Health Centre, in its quest to provide health care close to home.
The list of past projects includes, but is not limited to digital mammography machines, minimally invasive surgical equipment, CT scanners, the MRI, Renal Unit expansion project, Central Fetal Monitoring System for Labour and Delivery, and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit.
Money raised from this year’s fundraiser is supporting the upgrade to the North Bay Regional Health Centre’s Nuclear Medicine Department, helping to purchase two new SPECT/CT machines.
Not only are these machines expected to “deliver shorter wait times and enhanced imaging, they will also broaden local diagnostic and treatment programs.”
The estimated cost to purchase the new machines, along with the renovations required to install them is $4.3 million.
They are powerful tools for diagnosing cardiac conditions through Stress Tests, infections, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
“ This is our second year doing walk/run towards that project. Over the course of the last 18 months, we’re at about $3.4 million, so we’re doing our last million right now towards that project,” explained Tammy Morison President of North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation.
“We’re in the home stretch, but we’ve got lots of stuff on the horizon, so we want to get this wrapped up.”
Jeff Miller knows from personal experience the importance of having the right tools available when life-altering events unexpectedly happen.
Miller was just 27 years old when he had a heart attack, followed by a stroke a few years later.
“I had to go to Sudbury years ago, and now we have a cardiologist and we’re starting to get expensive equipment that we need. It is amazing,” stated the grateful young father.
"They saved my life."
Morison says the community is lucky to have the Regional Health Centre so close to home.
“The facility is just one part of it. We have the people inside giving that exceptional and compassionate care, and that is really what makes the difference. We also want to make sure those people providing the care have the best tools in their hands to give the best care possible. Today is just part of what we do all year round to make sure that we can impact care here, close to home. Capital equipment in our hospital is a partnership between the province, the hospital, and the community.”
