Rotary Centennial Award of $100,000 on Oct. 19/12 at the Sheraton Centre to The Philip Aziz Centre, Emily's House Perinatal Program
The Centennial Award of $100,000 will be presented to The Philip Aziz Centre for their innovative Program: “ The Rotary Club of Toronto, Emily’s House Perinatal Program”.
Emily’s House, opening in January 2013, will be the 1st children’s hospice in Toronto and only the 6th in Canada. It is a project of The Philip Aziz Centre. The Rotary Club of Toronto, Emily’s House Perinatal Program, will be a model of family centered care for families whose babies are likely to die before, during or shortly following birth. Perinatal refers to the time surrounding pregnancy and birth and the first year of the baby's life. Advanced care planning can apply to the unborn infant, just as it does with adults.
We are thankful to RCT, Healthy Beginnings Committee, for their insight, compassion and commitment to granting $100,000 towards this unique, specialized and necessary care option for families who receive a life-limiting diagnosis for their newborn baby.
This RCT Centennial Award of $100,000, will allow for the purchase of (2) two portable birthing room warming cribs which will provide warmth and comfort to the neonate. When a neonate is born, one of the biggest sources of discomfort is heat loss. The heat provided by the overhead warmer simulates the warmth of the mother’s womb – an environment familiar to the young neonate. Each crib will also have a gel mattress to provide another source of relief and even temperature to ensure comfort while at rest. Should a newborn have difficulty transitioning to breathing, these cribs will have the equipment to assist in clearing fluids from the lungs when required. Instrument trays, shelves, IV poles and a large pass-thru drawer allow for convenient arrangement of the tools that the nursing staff will need for 24/7 care .
.Also within this grant, (1) one portable Bereavement Legacy resource cart and all necessary materials will be purchased. The portable family resource cart will hold supplies for legacy building activities, such as paint/art boards, molding supplies, foot/hand printing supplies, sibling activities, blankets for dying babies, a camera, a video camera and many other items. Programs will include the development of a specialized birth plan, legacy building and memory making.
We have had families take over the cart to create the legacy that they have needed to do- it is their journey. One mom made a small memory book with the photos that we had printed. She was able to do this staying at the baby’s side, rather than leaving her critically ill daughter. She got the sibling (an older girl) involved, too, and this became a source of enjoyment in an otherwise very sad time.
Ongoing bereavement and spiritual support for families and siblings, will also be offered so that parents can both grieve their loss and celebrate a life lived.
Whether a life is measured in days, weeks, months or even years, through the generosity of this grant, The Rotary Club of Toronto, Emily’s House Perinatal Program will help families make memories out of minutes and miracle out of days.