Saskatchewan families who have spent years waiting for a new children’s hospital are about to have their wishes fulfilled.
The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan is going to open Sept. 29. It’s going to be a relief for those who have been forced to travel outside of the province for the specialized care that a children’s hospital can provide.
Frankly, it’s stunning that a province the size of Saskatchewan has not had a children’s hospital previously. While we haven’t always been a province with at least a million people, we’ve hovered close enough to a million to justify such a healthcare facility.
Families shouldn’t have been forced to travel to Edmonton, Calgary or Winnipeg for this specialized care.
It’s also hard to believe that it’s been a decade since the Saskatchewan Party government announced that Saskatchewan was finally going to have a children’s hospital. It’s been a long wait for this project to be completed, and it hasn’t always been a smooth process, but finally it’s going to be done.
By all accounts, this children’s hospital is a marvel, truly something to behold. There’s a lot of care and creativity that’s been placed into the building.
A grand opening celebration was held Sept. 5, even though the official opening of the hospital was still more than three weeks away. It was a grand occasion, a chance for people to see this marvellous site, to see how it will improve the lives of others.
And it was a chance to see how it has been built with children in mind. It’s not just about the healthcare that children will receive, it’s about those nice little touches that have been applied.
The “northern lights” allow children to select their favourite colour for their room. It might not seem like a big deal to a lot of adults, but it’s great for a lot of kids. And there’s all sorts of amenities in there to make the children’s experience as positive as possible.
It’s also a testament to the generosity of the people of this province. So many of the amenities are possible due to the support that this children’s hospital has received from the public.
A look at the donor wall inside the hospital will show that people of this region recognize the value of the children’s hospital, even if it’s nearly five hours away. Local businesses, organizations, families and individuals donated significant amounts of money for the hospital to happen.
We’ve marvelled at how the Sernick family raised nearly $40,000 through the Cancer Sucks project. And we lauded young Gage Goetz for the way in which he raised more than $25,000 by selling his 4-H steer (as well as he halter and cattle show stick) during Estevan’s regional 4-H show and sale.
We’ve seen children from southeast Saskatchewan serve as ambassadors for this project and raise money for it. Payton Sernick was the hospital foundation`s champion child in 2018.
There are amenities inside the children’s hospital that carry the names of local people.
It seems like everyone in Saskatchewan recognizes this new children’s hospital is a much-needed facility.
Now that it’s about to open, it’s going to make the lives of a lot of Saskatchewan people a lot easier.
Of course, getting it open is just part of the work. They’re going to have to work hard on upkeep and upgrades. The fundraising will never be over.
But at least it’s going to go a long ways in making people’s lives easier.
