This year, Enfant Soleil is donating more than $145,000 in Bas-Saint-Laurent to improve the care of children in the area. It supports over a hundred healthcare establishments across the province, in addition to giving vital support to the four major pediatric centres, which provide specialized and superspecialized care to all children who need it.
Discover a project that will make our little sunshines glow with health.
Renovation and reshaping of the neonatal unit
Every year, around 350 babies are born in the neonatal unit of the Centre hospitalier régional du Grand-Portage. Set up in 1992, the unit will benefit from a functional structural layout to fully meet the needs of newborns, their families, and healthcare teams.
Enfant Soleil, in collaboration with the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, will help bring this major project to life, an essential initiative for the region. The redevelopment of the unit aims to:
- Create an optimized resuscitation room for quick intervention when every second counts;
- Provide a comfortable and calming environment for parents watching over their child;
- Integrate innovative equipment that meets the highest quality standards.
Other projects supported in the area
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device
Essential for newborns in respiratory distress. Designed to fit babies, it ensures effective care during transfers to the hospital and reduces the risk of neurological complications.
Development of standardized assessment tools
Every year in the region, nearly 300 children with autism spectrum disorder or an intellectual or physical disability require support services.
These tools, more comprehensive and efficient than those currently in use, will help better identify the needs of these children and guide them towards the right resources.
Rocking chair and various tools for the baby care area and vaccination clinic
These additions will give parents a comfortable place to feed their baby during wait times and medical appointments. With their needs met, babies will have a positive care experience.
Cardiac monitor
Jointly financed by Enfant Soleil and the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, this device facilitates real-time heart rate monitoring. It allows for more responsive and tailored care for the child. With the data received, medical teams can quickly adjust the treatment provided to little patients.
Nocturnal pulse oximeter
An oximetry test involves placing a small sensor on the tip of a child's finger or toe to monitor their heart rate and measure their blood oxygen levels. With this new equipment, many families will be able to perform this test gently at night, in the comfort of their home, reducing the child’s stress and avoiding hospitalization.
3 adapted immobilization boards
These boards, adapted to fit children's size, ensure safe and comfortable immobilization when certain treatments or examinations are needed, giving little ones a better care experience.
Medical teams will be able to conduct more precise investigations to obtain a more accurate assessment of the child's condition and recommend a more tailored treatment plan.
Alek Plourde, Bas-Saint-Laurent’s Enfant Soleil
He and his family help the cause shine in their region.
Having to be urgently transferred from the Rivière-du-Loup hospital to the Centre mère-enfant Soleil at CHU de Québec, Alek's mother gave birth to him very prematurely, at just 27 weeks. Weighing only 1,310 grams, Alek spent the next weeks in the neonatal unit, fed by an intravenous catheter and a feeding pump. He also had to overcome numerous health challenges, such as fighting an unknown infection and undergoing a lumbar puncture. After 12 long weeks in the hospital, he was finally able to go home. Now four years old, Alek has only one lasting effect of his prematurity: asthma, but he will be closely monitored until he turns five to ensure his healthy development.
“Without these treatments and devices, we wouldn't have our little Alek with us; we wouldn't be parents.” —Annie-Claude and Jonathan, Alek’s parents