Indigenous Community Healing Space

Additional funds are needed to support this vital project for kids needing care!  Let’s give kids a culturally connected space for healing within Children’s Hospital.

In consultation with Indigenous community members, it was determined that additional space was needed, and a deeper, more meaningful functional design of that space will enhance support and holistic healing for Indigenous children needing health care.

Your support of the Indigenous Community Healing Space will help create a more welcoming, culturally safe environment at HSC Children’s Hospital for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit kids and their families while they’re away from their home communities and cultural supports. Please give today.

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*In the “Designation” section, please select “Designation of your choice”and type (or copy + paste) your gift intent as: Indigenous Community Healing Space*

As many as 60 per cent of the 140,000+ kids treated at HSC Children’s Hospital are Indigenous. Many of these children come from remote and Northern communities and must leave their families and community supports behind when they come for care.

You can help build the first Indigenous Community Healing Space in a Canadian Children’s Hospital – right here for kids from Manitoba, Nunavut and Northwest Ontario who need it.

The Indigenous Community Healing Space project is fully led by Indigenous women, including by Dr. Melanie Morris, the first Indigenous pediatric surgeon in Canada, who was appointed as the first lead of Indigenous Health at HSC Children’s in 2019. Consultation with Indigenous Elders, community organizations, health providers and families has further guided culturally sensitive plans for the Healing Space. The HSC Children’s Indigenous Community Healing Space will integrate Indigenous traditions, values, and holistic approaches to healing for children and families, ensuring that they experience care in a way that is both culturally relevant and respectful of their identities.

The Indigenous Community Healing Space will feature:

• Place for Indigenous Elders, healers and Knowledge Keepers to support families in care
• Design elements that reflect Indigenous culture, spirituality and worldview
• Space for traditional Indigenous ceremonies, including smudging
• Library space for Indigenous children’s books
• Comfortable breastfeeding corner for mothers

Your support will help complete construction and furnishings, and provide funding for ongoing programming and resources needed to ensure the best care.

Please give today to support the building of this inclusive and culturally safe space and show support of HSC Children’s commitment to reconciliation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 22:

We call upon those who can effect change within the Canadian health-care system to recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with Aboriginal healers and Elders where requested by Aboriginal patients. (TRC Action item 22)

Donate Now

*In the “Designation” section, please select “Designation of your choice”and type (or copy + paste) your gift intent as: Indigenous Community Healing Space*

If funding goals are achieved, additional dollars will be allocated to the area of greatest need.