The Saskatchewan spirit is alive and well in our province. That, from the President and CEO of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, as she announced the total raised in the 20-hour province-wide Radiothon. Brynn Boback-Lane thanks everyone for their generosity with a total of $1,10, 204 raised. She also thanks Gord and Barb Broda, who matched donations up to $150,000.

Radio stations from across the province, including CJWW, were broadcasting live from the Children’s Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday. Martie Davies, manager of the pediatric outpatient department says she’s always amazed by the generosity of Saskatchewan people. “Without their support we wouldn’t be able to do all the amazing care that we have been able to provide, and I think ultimately seeing what the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation has been able to do in this province is just really, really amazing.”

The funds raised will be used for essential pediatric cardiology and respirology equipment. Boback-Lane says the funds will revolutionize cardiac care, enabling quicker and more accurate diagnoses for young cardiac patients through advanced ultrasounds and specialized heart tests, ensuring timely and effective treatment.

One of the guests during the Radiothon was Deanna Woodard. She is a mom of two sons, both of whom were diagnosed with serious illnesses and spent time in the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. Logan was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and Mark has leukemia. Woodard says when they were diagnosed, she felt helpless because she and her husband had to hand over her children to strangers and there wasn’t a whole lot she could do for them.

A good memory from the hospital though is when Mark was suffering with a lot of pain and had his first experience with music therapy. “He was just this really sick kid. I just remember that first scene. My husband and I were sitting across the room from him. They were sitting on the floor with drums and ukeleles spread out around them and he was just having a great time. We had tears streaming down our faces because this was the first time we really got to see him as himself again.”