Stratford General Hospital grateful for $10,000 donation from Optimist Club towards labour and delivery pain management protocols
By: Emily Stewart
The Optimist Club of Stratford donated $10,000 to the Stratford General Hospital Foundation to provide flexible pain management for those in labour and delivery.
"The Optimist Club has been a strong supporter of the hospital for many years and it's just great to walk alongside community volunteers that do tremendous work that make our community better,” said Cheryl Hunt, executive director of the Stratford General Hospital foundation. “We feel very, very fortunate and blessed.”
The donation from the Optimist Club will be put towards the Maternal Child unit, specifically for portable nitrous oxide, a.k.a. “laughing gas” units, that provide pain management during labour and delivery.
The portable units allow for more flexibility for pregnant patients as they move around the hospital.
"No matter where mom is, if she's in bed or needs to move to a different area or is walking the halls, she's able to be in charge of her pain management system,” said Hunt. “It's all set up. It's very safe so mom can't overuse it and it provides a very patient-focused experience during a labour event."
The units provide health and safety benefits such as keeping gas away from the walls and thus preventing gas leaks while also reducing carbon emissions.
The Stratford General Hospital is not fully funded by the government and relies on donations and fundraisers to keep operations running smoothly and equipment updated.
"It's just heartwarming and encouraging in today's day and age that people are still philanthropic,” Hunt said. “People still understand the need of supporting one another and organizations step up and go above and beyond to engage and to raise funds and to ensure that our community is strong."
The Optimist Club of Stratford has supported the Stratford General Hospital Foundation for more than 20 years. Since 2018, the club has contributed more than $80,000 for the hospital’s Maternal Child unit medical equipment including the portable laughing gas units.
"Our mandate is to support children and to make their lives better so the hospital donation was made to support children and family needs,” said Stu MacCuaig, treasurer of the Optimist Club in Stratford.
In addition to the Stratford General Hospital, the Optimist Club of Stratford also supported Optimism Place, L’Arche Stratford, the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board STEM program and other initiatives like youth athletics and education to enhance the lives of children and youth in the area.
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