The medical team at Southampton General Hospital’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) have purchased two items of state of the art medical equipment thanks to the generous fundraising and support of staff at Carte Blanche Greetings Ltd. and their friends and families.
A High Frequency Oscillating Ventilator costing £24,000 has been purchased to help to reduce lung injury in patients needing assistance with breathing.
The team’s fundraising efforts have also allowed the unit to purchase a Nitric Oxide monitor costing £4,200 which is used to monitor the amount of nitric oxide given to patients to lower the pressure in their lung blood vessels. This will be specifically used to monitor patients being transferred to Southampton General Hospital by ambulance.
Mark Hilder who works at Carte Blanche Greeting Ltd. holds a strong personal connection to the work of Southampton’s PICU, as his son Milo spent a great deal of time in the care of the unit before he sadly passed away just two weeks before his first birthday in 2009.
Mark said “The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit is second to none in the excellent service and quality of care they provide to their young patients and families, which we have experienced first hand. We were keen to raise as much money as possible to make sure that the unit can help patients like Milo and we’re delighted that the unit has been able to purchase such an important piece of medical equipment.”
Through various fundraising activities and challenges Carte Blanche Greetings Ltd. has raised a total of well over £30,000. In 2009 six colleagues took on the Home 2 Rome challenge, driving 1800 miles across France and Italy to raise funds for Southampton Hospital Charity’s PICU fund and in May last year a team of 23 climbed mount Snowdon raising over £4000 towards their fundraising total. A walk on the South Downs, a canon-pull challenge, cake sales, dress down days and bacon sandwich sales have also helped to raise money for the cause.
Southampton’s PICU currently treats over 900 patients per year, between birth and 18 years of age and is the lead centre for Paediatric Intensive Care in south central England with a catchment area that includes Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Surrey, Isle of Wight, and the Channel Islands. In addition, the Unit often accepts referrals from further afield if no PICU bed is available in that region.
To make a donation to Southampton Hospital Charity's PICU fund please call 023 8079 8881.
Posted on Friday 28 October 2011