Ridge Meadows Hospital will be purchasing a new acute care mechanical ventilator, thanks to a generous grant from TB Vets.
The TB Vets Charitable Foundation, whose focus is on helping those with respiratory illnesses, made a two-year commitment of $65,000 to purchase the machine for the hospital.
Debbie Kennedy with the Ridge Meadows Hospital foundation said the TB Vets have been long time supporters of the foundation and usually award a grant every two years.
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Every year, the foundation comes up with a wish list for the hospital totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars. This year, they are hoping to purchase $705,000 in essential equipment for the hospital.
“(This is) a really crucial peice of equipment for our respiratory department,” said Kennedy.
The ventilator supports the most critically ill patients at the hospital with their breathing, anywhere from just shortness of breath, to long-term assistance.
“We currently have a ventilator on site that we can’t service any longer,” continued Kennedy, adding that the technology simply becomes outdated.
The foundation applied for the grant at the end of May and were notified about the amount at the end of August.
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A cheque was presented to them on Sept. 17 at 2019 TB Vets Frontline Grants Awards dinner.
Respiratory therapist Dave Wallace explained in the grant application that the hospital is funded for two ventilator beds that are located in the intensive care unit, but can often have three to four ventilators running in the hospital at peak times. Sometimes more.
He also explained how crucial the piece of equipment is by telling a story about a young man having difficulty breathing came to the hospital by ambulance. After an X-ray showed fluid in his lungs, a breathing tube was immediately placed in his lungs and they attempted to ventilate him on the ER Transport breathing machine.
However, he was still having problems with his breathing, his oxygen continued to be low, and he was setting off alarms on the machine. That’s when they placed him on of their Acute Care Breathing Machines.
Wallace said after adjusting multiple modes, the patient settled, his oxygen in his blood increased and his breathing improved and he was able to get some much needed rest until his lungs began to heal.
Days later, as his lungs improved, he was switched to a mode that allowed him to breathe on his own, and then after a week, the breathing tube was removed and he was able to manage on his own with some oxygen.
TB Vets Charitable Foundation was founded by First and Second World War Veterans in 1946, when they returned from overseas with tuberculosis. As they were unable to hold a regular job and denied government benefits, they formed TB Vets to provide work for themselves and help fellow comrades in respiratory distress.
TB Vets’ key return program along with private donations help the TB Vets’ mission of providing critical respiratory equipment to B.C. hospitals and first responders.
This year, the organization handed out more than $750,000 in grants.
To date, TB Vets has distributed more than $13 million across BC communities large and small.
Donations to the TB Vets Key Tags can be made at donate.tbvets.org.
To donate to the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation go to rmhfoundation.com.
cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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