Welcome Baby Charles

Olivia Thorington’s baby was born April 19th, just as the Covid-19 precautions were becoming stricter. This was a stressful time for her and her husband, as no family members were permitted to visit them in the hospital, including her parents, who were stuck south of the border.

Thankfully, the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital’s staff were there for her every step of the way. They ensured she was well settled, taken care of, and even went out of their way to provide late-night snacks to her when the kitchen, which would normally be open, was closed due to the pandemic.

Olivia recalls, “The labour and delivery staff worked tirelessly to make us feel like everything was normal despite there only being a handful of them on shift due to restrictions. My one request was to have an epidural for my delivery. The anesthesiologist was in surgery elsewhere in the hospital and I was worried there wouldn’t be enough time to have one. It was literally crunch time, but the nurse who had greeted us and got us settled into a delivery room was determined to make sure the epidural happened. It did and it was great.” Post delivery, another nurse cared for her newborn for a few hours just so Olivia could get some sleep, a precious commodity after being up for two days straight.

Her baby boy spent his first nights sleeping soundly in one of our hospital’s bassinets. Bassinets may seem like a small thing, but to a baby, they’re their whole world, the first home they experience outside of the womb.

At the end of the day, enhancing healthcare isn’t really about the equipment we buy, it’s about the people whose lives are touched each and every day by the Hospital’s incredible staff. By working closely with hospital staff, we are able to learn what equipment they need so they can do what they do best: provide exceptional care to our community members.

Speaking of need, we are currently raising funds to purchase 40 new bassinets for our hospital, just like the one Olivia’s newborn son slept in. Our fundraising goal is $170,000. Currently, we have raised $50,000. Please join us in making sure our newest citizens are safe in a bassinet.