The Purpose

Each year the Great Big Dig raises money for vital pieces of medical equipment for the IWK and this year is no different! Below are a few examples of what our event will be funding.

Babylog Ventilator
The Babylog Ventilator is a life-saving piece of equipment that will be used in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to support the breathing of critically ill babies. This specialized ventilator supports breathing through a tube inserted into the baby’s lungs. It allows the baby to be supported immediately post-birth to when they are ready to breathe independently. This ventilator will let the care team transport very sick babies to the operating rooms in the safest possible way.

C02 Monitors
These new C02 monitors will allow the care team to measure the CO2 levels in a baby’s blood painlessly through their skin. This technology will allow the baby’s respiratory support to be increased or weaned non-invasively rather than doing more bloodwork. Bloodwork on infants involves poking and squeezing the baby’s heal, which can be quite painful. Access to these monitors will allow the NICU care team to minimize and potentially eliminate hundreds of painful procedures for critically ill babies each year.