Children's Hospital has received an early Christmas present that will help ensure young children in its care get the developmental support they need to thrive in the future.
SC Johnson has donated $50,000 to the Children's Health Foundation, the hospital's fundraising leg. The money will go to help launch the new Help Me Thrive program for infants, toddlers, and their families.
The pilot program will offer extra developmental supports to children who have to stay at the hospital for an extended period of time due to complex medical needs. It will mitigate the disruptions of growing up in hospital and teach the whole family how to get involved in care. Through the program staff will access and support young patients with fundamental skills like early communication and motor skills. Parents will be taught the best ways to support their child’s unique medical needs – like whether their child’s feeding tube will prohibit them from tummy-time at home.
The goal is to help sick children feel more like kids and parents to be more confident about their child's in-hospital and at home care.
"During this season of giving, Children’s Health Foundation is proud to partner with supporters of innovation like SC Johnson, who will help transform countless young futures through their generous contribution to the Help Me Thrive Program,” Scott Fortnum, the health foundation's president and CEO, said in a statement. “Their generous gift will help ensure the whole family receives the care and support they need when a child grows up in hospital. With community support for this life-enriching program, SC Johnson is helping create better futures for vulnerable infants, toddlers and their families across Western Ontario who rely on Children’s Hospital throughout their lives.”
The foundation added that the new program would not have been possible without the donation from SC Johnson.
