Sandra Schmirler Foundation Telethon Helps Infants Born “Too Soon, Too Small, Too Sick, Too Far”
Published Friday, February 14, 2025
Sarah Potts, her husband Jordan, and their twin boys received life-saving care in Thunder Bay's NICU. As she competes with Team McCarville at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, she's asking for everyone's support to give to this year's Sandra Schmirler Foundation Telethon.
Team McCarville's Sarah Potts Talks about How Donors Helped Her Newborn Twins
The Sandra Schmirler Foundation Telethon in support of NICU services is Sunday, February 16 – and volunteers including several Health Sciences Foundation staff will be available to take your pledge. Call 1-866-210-6011 anytime from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. to make your donation!
“There's something wrong with your baby…”
For a parent, those are unimaginably gut-wrenching words. One moment you're happily expecting the birth of your child. The next, you realize how delicate life is, and how quickly things can go wrong.
“My heart plummeted when doctors warned us the twins might need to be flown to another city,” said Sarah Potts. Both she and her husband Jordan were faced with stepping onto an air ambulance at a moment's notice to get the care their premature babies needed. “How could we leave behind our family, our entire support system – everything familiar – at a time when every moment with our boys felt so fragile?”
Thankfully, their twin boys were able to get the care they needed right here at home – and you helped make it happen.
Every year, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation provides funding from your donations to upgrade old equipment and bring in new for the NICU. Our goal is simple: to ensure all patients including our smallest ones can get the care they need, closer to home.
This year, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation will give the Health Sciences Foundation a helping hand during the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. A portion of the proceeds from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation Telethon on Sunday, February 16 will go directly to help infants get care they need right here in Thunder Bay.
That includes infants from the region. On Giving Tuesday last November, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation matched your donations dollar for dollar to purchase equipment to complete a second Paediatric Transfer Deck for the Paediatric Emergency Transport Team at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. This set of specialized equipment including an infant-sized ventilator and defibrillator helps keep babies stable during transfer. Having a second deck improves both response times and access to care for children in remote communities across Northwestern Ontario.
Now Sarah is asking for everyone's help to build on that support. When you give to this year's Sandra Schmirler Foundation Telethon, you'll be helping all babies in Northwestern Ontario who were born too soon, too small, too sick, or too far.
“The Sandra Schmirler Foundation is committed to bringing life-saving care closer to rural and remote communities, where critically ill newborns desperately need our support,” Sarah said. “Every baby – regardless of where they're born – deserves access to life-saving care.”
As you may know, Sarah has a special connection to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. She'll be competing on Team McCarville. Her twin boys, now almost five, will be cheering her on from the stands.
When new parents face their darkest moments, we can at least help them get the care they need for their babies right here in Thunder Bay. Please give to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation Telethon online right now at sandraschmirler.org. Or, call in your pledge during the Telethon at 1-866-210-6011 on Sunday, February 16 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Several Health Sciences Foundation staff will be volunteering on the phone lines to take your call!
