Islanders will be asked to lend their financial support this weekend to high-quality health care in the province.
The 22nd annual Queen Elizabeth Hospital/Eastlink Telethon will air live on Eastlink TV Channels 10 and 610 on Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., and continuing Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The QEH Foundation relies on the telethon each year to support health care in P.E.I. through the purchase of priority medical equipment.
“Throughout the telethon weekend, we look forward to hearing from Islanders from tip to tip, coming together to support P.E.I.’s main referral hospital,” says Bob Sear, chairman of the QEH Foundation.
“The telethon is an opportunity to celebrate the culmination of fundraising initiatives over the past year that individuals, community groups and businesses have hosted in support of the QEH Foundation."
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To make a pledge in advance of the telethon, contact the QEH Foundation office at 902-894-2425, donate online at qehfoundation.pe.ca or call in a pledge during telethon.
This year, funds raised will be used to purchase equipment for the QEH provincial laboratory, stroke care, operating rooms and mental health initiatives, as well as other areas of the hospital.
One important piece of equipment the telethon will support is a mass spectrometer, a device that will allow for quality testing for prescription medications and illegal substances. The spectrometers offer timely and accurate results of tests, which currently go off-Island.
Funds raised will also support the purchase of a state-of-the-art urology laser, which will provide treatment for patients with kidney stones and allow for removal of stones using an endoscope, avoiding more invasive surgery.
Viewers will be introduced to some patients of the QEH, including Harrison Maye, a young boy who has undergone cancer treatment, Maxine MacLennan, a well-known musician who recently required emergency care and rehabilitation, and Sheldon O’Meara, a man who has dealt with health issues since childhood and considers the QEH a second home.
Donors can participate in the telethon’s “Who’s in your Heart?” initiative — an opportunity to recognize a health-care provider or loved one while providing a gift to the QEH. The hearts will be displayed throughout the telethon and afterwards at the QEH.
A lineup of P.E.I. musicians will volunteer their time and talent to perform over the weekend. Included this year are show-opener FallBack, Richard Wood and Gordon Belsher, Ashley Condon, Rachel Beck, Barry and Garrett O’Brien, the Amanda Jackson Band and many more. Celtic fiddler Cynthia MacLeod and friends will be the featured performers for the grand finale.
