BILLINGS - St. Vincent Healthcare’s 9th annual Call for Kids aims to raise $100,000 for some of the youngest and most fragile patients at St. Vincent Healthcare. Many of those spend their time right here in the pediatric intensive care unit, kids like 5-month-old Eliza, who just needs a little extra help.
Eliza’s mother Anna tells MTN her daughter was born in Cody, Wyo. and has an undiagnosed neuromuscular disorder. Eliza has spent most of her life in the hospital.
“We’re caring for patients and families at the most vulnerable time,” says Melissa Jennings, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at St. Vincent Healthcare.
St. Vincent Healthcare says a big part of that care is keeping kids right here in Montana, close to home, work, and family support systems, even when they need pediatric surgery, which in the end they say helps the tiniest patients with their recovery.
“They are truly appreciative at the end of the day there's often times we get thank you cards,” says Jennings.
Thank you’s to the 10 pediatric surgeons on staff at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City as they partner with St. Vincent Healthcare, rotating the surgeons in and out of Billings, making surgery available locally 24/7, 365.
"We are the pediatric surgeons at Primary Children's Hospital, which is the only level 1 pediatric trauma center in the entire intermountain west. We all travel to St. Vincent so each individual spends about 5-6 weeks in Billings each year,” says Dr. Katie Russell, a pediatric surgeon at Primary Children’s Hospital and St. Vincent Healthcare.
Surgeons like Dr. Katie Russell help kids from infancy to age 17 from trauma to respiratory cases and many things in between. Now you can help these kids by donating to the 9th annual call for kids mediathon. Call, text or go online.
You can donate online by clicking here:
https://www.sclhealth.org/locations/st-vincent-healthcare-foundation/donate/
You can also text KIDS to 32037 or call 406-237-3607
For more information click here:
https://www.sclhealth.org/locations/st-vincent-healthcare-foundation/about-us/events/call-for-kids
