Stefano’s Stories: kids’ health during COVID-19

March 2020

Manitobans are playing their part in complying with social distancing, and given the evolving COVID-19 situation, the entire HSC Winnipeg campus, including HSC Children’s Hospital, is implementing strict precautions to protect all patients and staff.

There is nothing more urgent than ensuring the virus finds no home anywhere in the hospital. If you’re one of the many kids in hospital right now, we understand how frustrating it is to be stuck in a room, with limited connections to the “outside world” and only one (1) parent/guardian visiting you at a time.

All of our doctors, nurses and caregivers will tell you that the support and love of family and friends is essential to the healing process and is fundamental to better mental health. While nothing will ever replace the warm touch of family member or friend, certain technology can help kids keep in touch with the people who are important to them. But not every older child has access to that technology.

When the call from the Children’s Hospital team came to our Foundation to find ways to help kids stay connected with families, friends, and even pets, our donors quickly responded! Within hours, thousands of dollars in donations were made to secure devices, like iPads, to bridge the connection gap during this critical social distancing time we are living in.

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt our community and our world, many dozens of kids are in Children’s Hospital right now, battling their own health challenges. Some are here for a few days, while others will unfortunately stay several more.

As we all know, love heals. And the sustained interaction between sick kids and their family and friends is critical to their well-being, especially during this difficult and unprecedented time of COVID-19.

Whether it’s tablets, or the Child Life programs of music, art, therapeutic clowning, games, CHTV and the library, these resources give kids the opportunity to connect with each other, family and friends and to improve their day-to-day life at the hospital. And without donors, these programs would not exist.

Our hospital staff are our heroes, working tirelessly to keep us all safe during this crisis. We thank them for putting their own health and well-being on the line for us and each other.

Manitobans are resilient. Despite the disruption and significant challenges our children and communities are facing, we remain strong and committed to each other. We are helping each other in the ways that we can. There are so many inspirational stories emerging of people helping one another. Thank-you for all you are doing from the bottom of our hearts.

Let’s make anything possible.

For the kids,
Stefano Grande