Jean-Francois Breau, Gilbert Daoust, Richard Grimard – General Director CSSS Pontiac, Marthe Drolet, Marylynn, and Elizabeth.
Lisa Boisvert &
Allyson Beauregard
Jean-Francois Breau, Gilbert Daoust, Richard Grimard – General Director CSSS Pontiac, Marthe Drolet, Marylynn, and Elizabeth.
Lisa Boisvert &
Allyson Beauregard
SHAWVILLE – As part of Operation Enfant Soleil’s (OES) annual provincial tour, Jean-François Breau, OES Facilitator, awarded $13,997 to the CSSS
du Pontiac, March 3.
Two Litchfield children, Marylynn (7) and Elizabeth (5) Lepack, attended to help present the cheque; the girls were chosen as this year’s Enfants Soleil for the Outaouais region. The grant will be used to purchase two Bilirubinometers, which are used to quickly diagnose jaundice in newborns; the device eliminates blood tests and waiting for results by simply placing it on the child’s forehead. Since 2013, Opération Enfant Soleil has given $57,033 to the CSSSP.
Marylynn has Cystinosis, a rare genetic disease that can damage many of the body’s important organs and affect their operation. She also suffers from Fanconi syndrome, a kidney disease that causes the loss of essential substances needed for proper development. Her sister Elizabeth has arthritis and Down’s Syndrome. “The girls have been receiving respiratory therapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy at
the Pontiac Community Hospital. They also receive services from the Gatineau Hospital and the CLSC, and have had many referrals to specialists in the Montreal area,” said Marthe Drolet, the girls’ mother.
The OES team is
currently visiting each of the regions of Quebec to
distribute more than 130 awards that will be used to help adapt hospitals and their equipment to better suit childrens’ needs. In
the past, the Pontiac Community Hospital also received funds to purchase heat tables.
To receive funds a request is made to buy a specific piece of equipment; OES gives 80% of the money needed and the Hospital Foundation contributes the remaining 20%.
“We are one of two hospitals in the Outaouais that have an Obstetrics unit. We need to be prepared with 24-hour staff and the right equipment to keep the children with their families and our residents delivering here and not outside the province,” said Gilbert Daoust, CSSSP Head Nurse.
The stories of the 18 Enfants Soleil, from
each of the regions of Quebec, will be presented June 6 and 7 during the next OES Telethon. To date, about $721,000
has been awarded in
the Outaouais to help
provide children with the best possible care during hospitalization.
