KGH Foundation CEO thanks community members
To the extraordinary people in our community,
So here we are, making our final preparations for the holiday season, about to celebrate the birth of a new year. It’s a time of year when time itself seems to slow down; a time of reflection.
This year more than ever, I find myself feeling a level of unprecedented gratitude to be a part of a community that cares so deeply about the welfare of others; women, men and children who choose to express their care by giving to organizations like the KGH Foundation and so many others in this community whose mission it is to, in short, care for those who need it the most.
As the CEO of the KGH Foundation, I have the distinct privilege to bear witness every day to the miracles that are made possible when we care.
Every day in communities across the southern interior of British Columbia, thousands of families’ lives are impacted by the need for urgent or specialized medical care at Kelowna General Hospital. Illness, injury, the premature birth of a child, the end of life; all part of our collective human experience, and yet when it happens, everything changes in a heartbeat.
The benefactors of your generosity are more than just ‘patients’; they are our family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours, the lady at the grocery store, your favourite coffee barista. They are doctors and nurses, EMTs, clinicians and all the extraordinary people who do the real work in healthcare.
Because you give…
- Every time a baby is born at KGH, bells chime and halls alight in pink or blue, a very special reminder for all that for some, the hospital is a wonderful place to be – a place of little miracles.
- We are building a beautiful home away from home for the mothers and fathers, husbands and wives of patients that have had to travel to KGH for advanced care, wrapping our collective arms around them so that they can wrap their arms around their loved ones everyday while they are here for care.
- Folks with debilitating respiratory issues can breathe easier during fire season thanks to innovative bedside equipment.
- Diseases are being identified and treated faster than ever before in a microbiology lab that ranks among the best in Canada.
- Youth suffering with a mental illness have a safe place to turn, where their symptoms, no matter how complex, will be treated quickly and holistically, with their families or caregivers right by their side.
And yet, giving to support the KGH Foundation really isn’t just about changing health care in our community. It is more than just fixing what is broken, curing what is sick or healing what is wounded. Giving changes us.
It is what unites us as communities and as human beings. It reminds us of who we are, the values we share and what is truly important in life.
I’m immensely proud to be a part of this community, and my hope is that you are too. Thank you and best wishes for a safe and healthy holiday season.
With care,
Doug Rankmore, CEO of KGH Foundation
