Here is your chance to help improve health care for residents across New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
The annual Love Your Hospital Radiothon on Country 94 and 97.3 The Wave runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday.
For the 12th year, we have partnered with the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation to raise money for the hospital.
“I’m feeling great. The team is feeling great,” Shannon Hunter, incoming president and CEO of the foundation, said in an interview ahead of the radiothon.
Hunter said this year’s radiothon is raising money to purchase a new heart-lung machine for the New Brunswick Heart Centre, which costs around $450,000.
The machine, also known as a cardiopulmonary bypass pump, temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during cardiac surgery, allowing for blood and oxygen to continue flowing throughout the body.
“We currently have four heart-lung machines, but one of them is nearing its end of life,” said Hunter.
“This model specifically that we are raising money toward would be much advanced compared to some of the older equipment that we have here.”
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Posted by Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation on Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Hunter said the equipment is critical for the roughly 1,000 cardiac surgeries the centre performs each year. It serves residents from across New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
For the third year in a row, the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation is serving as a match sponsor and will match all donations up to $100,000.
“All of our partners are incredibly important in terms of being able to do radiothon, but having a match sponsor, somebody who really understands the need for this equipment and is willing to match community generosity, is very critical to the success of our radiothon,” said Hunter.
In addition to raising money, you will hear stories from staff and patients at the hospital throughout the day.
You can make a donation to the radiothon online by clicking here or by calling 506-648-7500.
“We have a bank of volunteers that will be answering phone calls and certainly looking forward to hearing from generous donors as to why they chose to support radiothon this year,” said Hunter.
