Melissa Thibaudier knows the value of the BC Children’s Hospital and the life-saving work that goes on there everyday.
That’s why she’s happy to lend her voice to BC Dairy’s December drive to help raise up to $200,000 for hospital.
BC Dairy is encouraging people to donate to the hospital by matching all donations this month, to a maximum of $100,000. If that maximum amount is reached, that would result in a $200,000 contribution in a month.
“As a mother whose child was born premature at 30 weeks, we still frequent BC Children’s Hospital for neonatal developmental assessments,” says Thibaudier, a third-generation farmer at Pickmick Dairy Farm, in Delta. “The exceptional work they do each day doesn’t go unnoticed. I am not only grateful to have had an incredible experience, but proud to be a part of a campaign that supports critical and complex care provided by Children’s Hospital.”
Thibaudier said her son Cam was born prematurely in April 2019 at Richmond Hospital.
Within hours, he was transferred to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
“And I’ll never forget … there were, I’m sure, 20 nurses and doctors waiting at Children’s when we came through the door with the ITT (infant transport) team,” Thibaudier said.
“And they looked at him, and he’s three pounds,14 ounces, and they all said, ‘Wow, he’s so big and looks so strong,’ and I thought at, three pounds and 14 ounces, how can that be?
“But from the moment we arrived, they were completely positive and willing to help and had the whole team there prepared and waiting for us.”
Since then, it’s been nothing but the best care, she added.
Often, BC Children’s staff have checked in on her to see she was doing as well, she added.
“And that care hasn’t stopped. He’s growing and healthy and has had no major concerns,” she added.
Donations can be made at: bcdairy.ca/bcchf/
