TUESDAY UPDATE:
The festive outdoor light show that had been planned for Tuesday has been postponed.
THE Surrey Hospitals Foundation is hosting “SHINE”, its inaugural holiday light display fundraising event. This year, the event will spotlight children and youth health care services at Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH).
On Tuesday, November 22 at 5 p.m., Surrey Memorial Hospital will launch a six-week festive outdoor light show display. It will be projected on the outside walls of the hospital during the holiday season of giving.
“Surrey is a city of celebration with our residents honouring cultural holidays like Diwali, Gurupurab, Hanukkah and Christmas in the fall and winter months. For years we’ve wanted to host a holiday light display at Surrey Memorial that celebrates our diversity. 2022 is the Foundation’s 30th anniversary which makes us very excited to launch our inaugural ‘SHINE’ fundraising event, and this year we’re illuminating the need for more pediatric services at SMH,” said Jane Adams, President and CEO of the Surrey Hospitals Foundation.
Based on the latest Statistics Canada 2021 Census data:
- Surrey is the fastest growing large city in Western Canada, with a growth rate of 9.7 per cent and a total population of 568,322 compared to 2016.
- Of the total population in Surrey, 23 per cent are children and youth under the age of 19 at 129,040.
- In 2021, Surrey mothers delivered more babies than any other city in BC with 6,010 births.
- SMH has the only pediatric ER department in the entire Fraser Health region, which accounts for 41 per cent of BC’s children and youth at almost 400,000.
Investment in health services for children and youth have lagged behind Surrey’s population growth. The figures speak for themselves:
- In 2001, SMH had 24 funded pediatric inpatient beds, and in 2021, it had 16.
- Of the total 442 pediatric inpatient and mental health beds in BC, Surrey only has 36 which only represents 8 per cent when 41 per cent of BC’s children and youth live in the Fraser Health region.
- When SMH’s pediatric ER first opened in 2013, one of only 2 in BC, it was built for 20,000 pediatric visits. In 2019, it saw 44,233 pediatric visits, more than double its capacity.
- SMH’s general pediatric program is staffed by 13 pediatricians, out of a total of 184 hospital-based pediatricians and sub-specialists in BC, with only 3 added in the last 5 years.
- In 2001, SMH’s family birthing unit had 38 funded beds and in 2021, it had 42, an increase of only 4 in 20 years.
- In 2014, SMH opened a 48 bed NICU but in 2021, only 32 of the beds were funded and open.
“The numbers really speak for themselves and shed light on just how few services we have for our children in Surrey. We know it’s best practice to provide care close to home for children but due to lack of services we must send our children to other cities every day to get the specialized health care they need,” pointed out Adams.
“When I gave birth to my twin boys at 29 weeks, I had to go all the way to BC Women’s because they didn’t have the necessary specialized health care at SMH,” said Rani Senghera, a Surrey mother of twin boys. “I then got transferred back to SMH but they had no room in their NICU for my premature babies so had to go into their general pediatric department. We really need more health care services in Surrey, especially for children, so that we can serve our incredibly fast growing community and stay closer to home.”
The Surrey Hospitals Foundation together with its donors and supporters have raised $6 million to renovate the Children’s Health Centre that was first built in 2001, as well as fund innovative medical equipment, research initiatives and capital projects for SMH. This year alone in pediatrics, the Foundation invested in art and music therapy programs and purchased infant warmers and handheld oximeter for their NICU, funded additional youth mental health programs and spaces, and put in additional spaces to accommodate the future hiring of pediatric specialists.
“The need is profound for more facilities, more specialists and more services,” said Adams. “We are asking donors to step up and join the Foundation to support children’s care in BC’s fastest growing city. Our goal is to help raise the funds and awareness that more infrastructure and services are needed to treat children closer to home in Surrey.”
From November to January, the Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s “SHINE” light display will celebrate donors, supporters and the diversity of its community. Proceeds from the seasonal display will support the health and wellness of children and youth in the Fraser Health region.
For more information, visit www.SurreyHospitalsFoundation.com.
