CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Ferguson family from Cornwall is praising the care provided by pediatricians and neonatal nurses at the QEH’s Neonatal Intensive Care unit (NICU) and thanking the Wo-He-Lo Club for its fundraising efforts.
“At 32 weeks gestation, our baby Olivia made a distressing entrance into this world,” says mother Ashley Ferguson, who works in the QEH’s NICU as a ward clerk. “After labouring for 24 hours, I had an emergency C-section because of an umbilical cord prolapse. “
“I was on the sidelines preparing myself, thinking that I would have to provide devastating news to a lot of people,” says Oliva’s father, Kyle Ferguson. “But suddenly the situation took a turn for the better, and it became the best day, with Ashley surviving the ordeal and Olivia being born weighing four pounds, nine ounces.”
About the Wo-He-Lo Club:
- The WoHe-Lo Club celebrated its 85th anniversary in the fall of 2018
- It is devoted to its motto of work, help and love
- The club’s goal is to raise funds to purchase priority medical equipment to care for infants at the QEH
- To date, the club has raised almost $1 million for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Working in the NICU, Ashley knew the importance of the medical equipment.
“But experiencing the compassionate care first-hand, and seeing our baby using the life-saving equipment provided by the Wo-He-Lo Club, has made me so proud to work at the QEH,” she says.
Islanders are invited this week to the Wo-He-Lo Club’s annual spring clothing sale at the QEH. The sale provides an excellent selection of gently used, reasonably priced fashions for the whole family, including business and casual clothing, as well as shoes and accessories. The sale takes place on the third floor in Classroom A and B on Wednesday, May 15, noon to 4 p.m.; Thursday, May 16, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday, May 17, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
"Knowing the proceeds of our sales have purchased life-saving medical equipment for babies like Olivia reinforces the important work we are doing for Island families,” says club president, Heather Keith.
Kathy Larter, nurse manager of the QEH Nursery and the NICU, says its top priority this year is to purchase four new syringe pumps at $30,000.
The pumps are used for delivering minute dosage of drugs to neonatal babies with accuracy and reliability. They can also store the patient's data and are equipped with special safety precautions to monitor drug dosages, so the programmed dose is within acceptable limits.
For more information about the priority medical equipment needs at the QEH, visit qehfoundation.pe.ca.
