Below are several tips from the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OFAC), on everything from hanging lights safely to making sure you know how to put out a grease fire.

Happy — and safe — holidays!

Holiday lights

We all love the look and feel of twinkly lights. Here are a few tips so you can enjoy them safely.

Make sure to check the cords on light sets closely and discard any that are frayed or damaged.

If you’re using an extension cord, don’t plug any more than three standard-sized light sets into one extension cord.

It’s important to turn off all lights at night or when you leave the house.

Candles

Candles can add atmosphere and cozy light to dim rooms during early evenings. But when not used safely, they can pose a significant fire hazard.

The most important rule when lighting candles is to never leave them unattended — blow them out before you leave a room or go to bed at night.

Keep candles away from children, pets and anything that could be flammable: curtains, upholstery or holiday decorations.

Christmas trees

Whether you’re using a real or artificial tree, keep the following fire safety tips in mind:

If you’re using a real tree, place it away from heaters, fireplaces or candles.

Water your tree once a week — real trees dry out quickly indoors and that increases the fire risk.

Artificial trees should be “fire-resistant,” which won’t prevent them from catching on fire, but they won’t burn as quickly and will be easier to extinguish.

Cooking safety

There’s a lot of cooking and baking over the holidays, and in the busyness of the season, it’s easy to get distracted when cooking. But staying focused in the kitchen will help keep you and your loved ones safe.

If you’re frying, broiling or grilling, stay in the kitchen. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove. For simmering, roasting, boiling or baking, stay in the home while cooking, check on the food regularly and use a cooking timer.

Grease and fat fires are a leading cause of house fires in Canada, according to the OFAC. If a pot or pan catches fire, here’s what to do:

• Smother any flames by covering the pot with a lid. Don’t remove the lid until it has cooled completely.
• Turn off the heat immediately
• Use baking soda (not flour; it can be explosive) on shallow grease fires
• Don’t turn on the overhead exhaust fan; it can spread the fire
• Never throw water on a grease fire

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

The holidays are a great opportunity to check that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order. There should working smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside all sleeping areas. Test your smoke alarms regularly (every six months).

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, invisible gas that can become deadly very quickly. Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors near sleeping areas in your home.

There is more information available on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on the OFAC website.

The post Tips to fireproof your holidays appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Going through cancer treatment during the holidays can make it difficult to embrace what has typically been one of the happier times of the year. Patients and families may struggle with how they can celebrate when they or someone close to them is coping with cancer. Patients wonder if they will feel well enough to enjoy the holidays when they going through radiation treatment, receiving chemotherapy or recovering from surgery. There are questions about whether they will have the energy to participate in family celebrations and worries about what the coming year will bring. While everyone else is moving ahead with holiday preparations and celebrations, many of our patients are facing a very uncertain future. They may feel pressured (by themselves or others) to carry on with the traditional holiday rituals, even though they may not have the physical or emotional energy to do so.

As the holiday season gets into full swing, here are some tips for families affected by cancer.

Focus on your own well-being

Whether you are a patient or a caregiver, first and foremost you have to focus on your own wellbeing. Eat well, ensure that you get your rest — including naps — and stay hydrated. Do not abandon your regular routines to accommodate the hectic holidays as these routines are what have helped you cope so far. Allow yourself to do less than you are accustomed to doing during this season and allow yourself to ask for help, whether that is with picking up gifts or bringing in food or helping with decorating and cleaning. Try to limit your visits and visitors to friends and family that share or respect your approach to COVID precautions.

It’s OK to say no

Remember that it is OK to say no. You do not have to accept every invitation or accommodate every request. Most importantly, be flexible. Make plans with the understanding that you may have to reschedule or change plans depending on how you or your loved one is feeling that day – and let people know that when you accept or offer an invitation. Cancer and its treatments weaken your immune system, making it harder to fight off viruses and making you more vulnerable to COVID. With this in mind, limiting your outings and contacts becomes even more reasonable from both an energy-conservation perspective but also from a health-related perspective.

Plan ahead

Clinic closures may be a source of stress for you or your loved one. It is important to know what dates your Cancer Centre is closed over the holidays and who to contact in the off hours if you run into difficulty. Ensure that you have enough of all your prescription medication to last through the holidays.

Prepare for questions

The family and friends you see over the holidays may ask questions about your diagnosis and how you are doing. Allow people the benefit of the doubt that their questions are expressions of concern. But know also that you do not need to explain your medical situation or provide any information beyond what you are comfortable disclosing. It may be helpful to coordinate an exit plan with one of your caregivers if you feel their questions or inquiries are becoming overwhelming.

Remember things may be different – but try not to focus on those differences

This season may not be like holidays from the past so try not to pressure yourself to make it so. The past two years of COVID have prepared many people to expect different or less over the holiday season. Give yourself permission to do what feels safe and comfortable to you. You may come away with new traditions while still being able to participate — instead of making the whole Christmas dinner, offer to host a potluck. Or hand the tradition to a sibling or child. Try not to focus on what might be missing, on what tradition wasn’t kept, or on what might be different about this year’s holiday season from those in the past. Rather, try to focus on the moment and enjoy your celebration in whatever form it takes. Remember what the holidays are truly about – a time for being thankful and sharing with others.

If you have concerns about how to cope with the stress of the holidays, talk to your health care provider and let them know how you are feeling.  Support is available through the Patient and Family Support Program at the Odette Cancer Centre. Wellspring also has various support programs available.

This blog has been updated from a previous version.

The post Tips for handling the holidays with a cancer diagnosis appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Over the past year, instead of large groups gathering for celebrations, people around the world have found creative ways of connecting virtually with friends and family while maintaining physical distancing to help stop the spread of the virus and end the pandemic.

“Holidays and celebrations help to maintain and strengthen ties, share practice of beliefs and rituals, serve as a way to keep up relationships, as well as affirm our sense of belonging with our group, community, culture, or society,” says Dr. Carolyn Boulos, psychiatrist at Sunnybrook.

While meeting online or talking on the phone is not the same as meeting in person, keeping the connection going is extremely beneficial.

“Hearing a friendly voice or seeing loved ones virtually, can re-establish connection, laughter, memories, and generate warm feelings,” says Dr. Boulos. “Regular communication, sharing our difficulties and happy events, as well as tears and laughter, can maintain close relationships despite the physical distance.”

Dr. Boulos adds that loneliness can lead to stress, greater morbidity, mortality, and worsen immunity, so staying in touch with family and friends online and on the phone can make a difference to an individual’s health in more ways than one.

“Connection and feeling understood by others, are powerful ingredients for our mental health.  Oxytocin is a hormone that may release during social interactions and helps to lower our stress levels with positive effects on our mental health,” explains Dr. Boulos.

“It has been shown that laughter can have anti-inflammatory effects, which can boost immunity. Connection with loved ones may alleviate the negative effects of quarantine fatigue on our enthusiasm, and creativity,” she adds.

To help these virtual conversations run smoothly, a very important part of staying connected online is making sure that everyone participating knows how to use the social media platform or app that the group will be using. If possible, having a dial-in option, a way for someone to join the call by telephone, is a great alternative.

There are many ways to celebrate holidays together while at a distance. We can still make meaningful memories with loved ones while keeping one another safe.

Get crafty

Gather friends and family online to create decorations or other holiday-themed treasures. Plan what you’re making in advance, make sure it is a craft that works for the ages and skill levels in your group, pick up your materials and have them ready for the big crafting day!

Host your own online family cooking show

Consider learning how to make a traditional holiday family recipe online. Designate a chef for the event, share the recipe so everyone can shop for all the ingredients and cooking tools ahead of time, log onto your computers, and share in a new virtual family tradition in the kitchen!

Host a virtual talent show

This may be a good opportunity to let individual talents take centre stage. The virtual talent show can include reading a holiday poem, sharing stories, handmade pictures, singing traditional songs, dances and more. Your loved ones may surprise you with incredible hidden talents!

Share a holiday meal together online

Food is often an important part of the holiday season. Consider safely dropping off a holiday meal to someone who is unable to make their meal or who will be alone at home for the holiday. Selecting a social media platform for family and friends to join at a specific time can help make holiday feasts a lot more festive despite the distance. Connecting online and on the phone can help us feel close during these special times of the year.

Be present

Staying in the moment while celebrating with others online can help make your time together much more enjoyable. It can be easy to multi-task and have additional screens open or other devices close by that may distract you from the virtual holiday gathering. Focusing on the conversation happening online and being present can help reinforce your connection with loved ones and help enhance the spirit of the holiday season.

The post COVID-19: Making meaningful holiday memories, even while apart appeared first on Your Health Matters.

“Thanksgiving isn’t ‘cancelled’ this year; it’s always important to be thankful. The most important thing is to have close contact only with people in your household,” says Dr. Jerome Leis, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Sunnybrook.

He says that the next one to two weeks are going to be crucial in terms of reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

“Gathering with fewer people is something we can all do right now to help get the number of positive cases down again.”

Some creative ways to stay connected with loved ones include virtual get-togethers, enjoying a physically distanced walk outside, and sending gifts or cards.

[mks_button size=”large” title=”More ideas on how to stay connected with loved ones during COVID-19″ style=”squared” url=”https://health.sunnybrook.ca/burns/specialized-laser-treatment-offers-burn-patients-new-recovery-path/” target=”_blank” bg_color=”#2c55a6″ txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”fa-chevron-right” icon_type=”fa”]

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““Occupancy at our Burn Centre is already very high, and we’re concerned about needing to admit even more people this weekend because of burns from cooking.”

– Dr. Marc Jeschke, Medical Director of Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre

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While gatherings need to be smaller this year, it’s still important to stay safe while preparing a holiday meal of any size. Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre (RTBC) often sees more cooking-related injuries during upcoming holidays like Thanksgiving and Diwali.

On the Thanksgiving holiday weekend last year, the RTBC admitted four patients who had been burned while preparing food.

“Occupancy at our Burn Centre is already very high, and we’re concerned about needing to admit even more people this weekend because of burns from cooking,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, Medical Director of the RTBC.

Below, he offers some tips on staying safe while preparing a holiday meal.

“If we can prevent one cooking-related burn this weekend, it’s worth it,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Cut down on distractions to avoid burns

Cooking multiple dishes at the same time can be a challenge. Be careful not to overwhelm yourself in the kitchen – a brief moment of distraction can end in a burn from pulling hot items from the oven or a fire starting on the stovetop.

Avoid wearing loose, flowing clothes while cooking

“With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close to the grill or the oven, and the clothes ignite. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Do not try to deep fry a frozen turkey

Deep frying a turkey comes with several risks: you could spill scalding hot on yourself, or burn your hands touching the very hot pot.

That risk escalates even further if your turkey is not completely thawed before it goes into the pot of heated oil. The water inside the frozen parts of the turkey will turn to steam, causing the oil to boil over and resulting in huge flames that can set you (or your home) on fire.

Don’t cook or BBQ after consuming alcohol

“This is something we see all year round, not just during holidays,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Alcohol impairs judgement and can cause dangerous behaviour such as falling asleep while food is still cooking in the oven.

If you do suffer a burn:

If it’s a significant burn, call 911. While waiting for help to arrive, don’t put butter, vinegar, oil or lemons on the burn.

“The best initial treatment for all burns is cool running water. Don’t soak the injured area, just let the water run over it,” says Dr. Jeschke.

The post Tips for giving thanks, safely appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Going through cancer treatment during the holidays can completely change your perspective during what should be one of the happiest times of the year. Patients and families struggle with how they can celebrate when they or someone close to them is coping with cancer. Patients wonder if they will feel well enough to enjoy the holidays when they going through radiation treatment, receiving chemotherapy or recovering from surgery. There are questions about whether they will have the energy to participate in family celebrations and worries about what the coming year will bring. While everyone else is moving ahead with holiday preparations and celebrations, our patients are facing a very uncertain future. They may feel pressured (by themselves or others) to carry on with the traditional holiday rituals, even though they may not have the physical or emotional energy to do so.

As the holiday season gets into full swing, here are some tips for families affected by cancer.

Focus on your own well-being.

Whether you are a patient or a caregiver, first and foremost you have to focus on your own wellbeing.  Eat well, ensure that you get your rest — including naps — and stay hydrated. Do not abandon your regular routines to accommodate the hectic holidays as these routines are what have helped you cope so far. Allow yourself to do less than you are accustomed to doing during this season and allow yourself to ask for help, whether that is with picking up gifts or bringing in food or helping with decorating and cleaning.

It’s OK to say no.

Remember that it is OK to say no. You do not have to accept every invitation or accommodate every request.  Most importantly, be flexible and know that, even if plans have been made, you may have to reschedule or change plans depending on how you or your loved one is feeling that day – and let people know that when you accept or offer an invitation.

Plan ahead.

Clinic closures may be a source of stress for you or your loved one. It is important to know what dates the cancer centre is closed over the holidays and who to contact in the off hours if you run into difficulty. Ensure that you have enough of all your prescription medication to last through the holidays

Prepare for questions.

Inevitably, family and friends you see over the holidays may ask questions about your diagnosis and how you are doing. Allow people the benefit of the doubt that their questions are expressions of concern. But know also that you do not need to explain your medical situation or provide any information beyond what you are comfortable disclosing. It may be helpful to coordinate an exit plan with one of your caregivers if you feel their questions or inquiries are becoming overwhelming.

Remember things may be different – but try not to focus on those differences.

This holiday season is not like all the others so do not pressure yourself to make it so. Give yourself the time and the permission to make changes and create new traditions this year that make it easier for you to participate. Instead of making the whole Christmas dinner, offer to host a potluck. Or hand the tradition to a sibling or child.  Try not to focus on what might be missing, on what tradition wasn’t kept, or on what might be different about this year’s holiday season from those in the past. Rather, try to focus on the moment and enjoy your celebration in whatever form it takes. Remember what the holidays are truly about – a time for being thankful and sharing with others.

If you have concerns about how to cope with the stress of the holidays, talk to your health care provider and let them know how you are feeling.  Support is available through the Patient and Family Support Program at the Odette Cancer Centre. Wellspring also has various support programs available.

The post Coping with cancer during the holiday season appeared first on Your Health Matters.

To the infection control experts who helped us figure out how to do it safely. Just because Santa occasionally wears a gown and gloves doesn’t mean he’s not Santa!

To the expert knitters and sewers who made beautiful hats and blankets for our babies.

To the lovely, lovely woman who asked if she could donate stockings (FILLED with goodies!) for all our families.

To the graduate family who donated storybooks, colouring books and hand lotion for siblings and parents.

To the graduate families who brought in delicious food for our family and staff holiday party, and who came to support our current NICU families.

To the nurses who helped us approach each family ahead of time and ask if they were interested in a Santa visit.

And again to the nurses and RTs and other team members who helped when Santa came to each baby’s room, and made it possible to take gorgeous pictures.

To our wonderful photographer, Doug, who takes such amazing pictures and creates such beautiful memories for our families.

To our delightful elves, who manage to make the whole process go smoothly and efficiently, and who rock their elf costumes like nobody’s business.

To Mrs Claus, who makes sure everyone is accounted for and keeps Santa on track.

And of course to our beloved Santa, who is not just adored when he puts on his red suit. He is the heart and the soul and the everything, and we love him.

Last but not least, to all the babies and families who dressed up and put on their best smiles. Thank you for graciously allowing us to share these photos with others. We know how hard it is to be in the hospital over the holidays, and we appreciate and admire how you find your joy even in the most difficult moments.

Happy holidays to all of you, and best wishes for 2015.

The post Turning the NICU into Santa’s Village appeared first on Your Health Matters.

A Halloween costume made at a craft event
with a donated bib, donated craft materials, a donated hat,
and a lot of ingenuity!

First, here’s how you can help.  One of the best ways you can support the NICU is by donating via the Sunnybrook Foundation, who offer us just wonderful support.  If you would like to contribute to a fund that goes toward our parent programs (including our new parent snack program), you can donate directly to the Khalil Keshavjee Memorial Fund. If you’re interested in supporting a particular event, run your eyes down the list and look for items in italics next to event names. Please let us know three or four weeks before the event if you can help so we can factor your support into our plans. You can email the NICU Parent Coordinator, Kate Robson, with any questions or ideas.

If you have gently used clothes or toys, we are working with a wonderful new charity called the New Mom Project. We refer many families to them, and they have storage and systems to accommodate all the donations.

If you would like to help with our Welcome Bag project, which is supported by the Graydon Miller Fund, and was the brilliant idea of one of our graduate mothers (thanks, Amanda!), we welcome either monetary donations or donations of the following: story books, small stuffed animals, blank journals, stress balls, reusable water bottles, and soft flannelette (for making hug blankets). We also would love donations of small ink pads that we use to make foot and hand print mementoes for families. We use a special kind of ink pad called My First Colour Box because it’s safe for babies.

Now, here’s our calendar. We’ve put absolutely everything in here, so it’s LONG. And we might change it when we get new and great ideas about things to do (maybe some from you!)  But this is a good start, right?

And last but not least … thank you! There is so much kindness and generosity in this community it is honestly overwhelming. You help make things better for NICU families and babies … you really do.

NICU Calendar of Events: 2014/2015

October

• Monday, October 6: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm) We gratefully accept donations of cookies or other treats for our Education Sessions
• Friday, October 10: Thanksgiving Celebration (5pm-8pm) We gratefully accept donations of either money or food for our major celebrations
• Thursday, October 16: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm) We gratefully accept donations of coffee, coffee filters and healthy treats for all of our Morning Coffee sessions
• Monday, October 20: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, October 23: Morning Coffee: Halloween Crafts  (10am-12pm) We gratefully accept donations of craft materials like scrapbooking paper, stickers, scrapbook letters, felt, fleece and tulle. We also accept donations of baby hats to be used in costumes.
• Saturday, October 25: Bollywood Party (2pm-4pm)
• Monday, October 27: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Friday, October 31: Halloween Party (1pm-3pm). We gratefully accept donations of nut-free treats

November (World Prematurity Month)

• Monday, November 3: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, November 6: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, November 10: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Sunday, November 16:  Family Café (2pm-4pm) We gratefully accept donations of nut-free treats.
• Monday, November 17: World Prematurity Day – Special Milk & Cookies Edition (1pm-3pm)
• Monday, November 24: Dr. Saroj Saigal book party (evening). At Estates of Sunnybrook.

December

• Monday, December 1: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, December 4: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, December 8: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-2pm)
• Sunday, December 14: Santa Day (12pm-4pm) We gratefully accept donations of any of the following: holiday stockings, small stuffed animals, small bottles of hand lotion, children’s story books, very small stocking stuffer toys, holiday ornaments, treats for our holiday party
• Monday, December 15: “Milk & Cookies” Cookie Fiesta (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25: Gift distribution. We gratefully accept donations of gifts (preferably toys or books) for both babies and older siblings

January

• Thursday, January 1: New Year’s Day Cake & Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, January 5: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, January 8: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Sunday, January 11: Family Café (2pm-4pm
• Monday, January 12: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, January 15: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, January 19: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, January 22: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, January 26: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)

February

• Monday, February 2: “Milk & Cookies” Groundhog Day Edition (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, February 5: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, February 9: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, February 12: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Saturday, February 14: Kangaroo-a-thon Kick Off (5pm-8pm) We gratefully accept donations of money or food for this special event, and also Valentine craft materials.
• Saturday, February 21: Mom to Mom lunch (12pm-2pm) We gratefully accept donations of pancake mixes, maple syrup, disposable plates and cutlery for this celebration.
• Monday, February 23: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, February 26: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)

March

• Monday, March 2: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Monday, March 9: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, March 12: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, March 15: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Friday, March 20: First Day of Spring Celebration (1pm-3pm)
• Monday, March 23: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, March 26: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, March 30: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)

April

• Thursday, April 2: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, April 6: Egg Hunt (1pm-3pm) We gratefully accept donations of treats for this celebration.
• Saturday, April 11: Last Day of Passover (12pm-2pm)
• Monday, April 13: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, April 16: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, April 20: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, April 23: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Sunday, April 26: Staff Appreciation Day. We gratefully accept donations of food items and treats from our NICU graduate family community for this celebration. A wonderful way to say thanks!

May

• Monday, May 4: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, May 7: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Sunday, May 10: Mother’s Day (gifts distributed) We gratefully accept gift items for our NICU mothers (such as jewelry, journals or scarves)
• Monday, May 11: Special Mother’s Day “Milk & Cookies” Session
• Friday, May 15: International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day. We gratefully accept the donation of plain white onesies that we can decorate for this event
• Monday, May 18: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, May 21: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, May 25: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, May 28: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)

June

• Monday, June 1: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Sunday, June 7: Preemie Picnic (11am-3pm) This is our biggest event. We accept all kinds of donations: story books to give to families, food items, support for entertainers, volunteers … let us know if/how you can help!
• Monday, June 8:  “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, June 11: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, June 15: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, June 18: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Sunday, June 21: Father’s Day (gifts distributed). We gratefully accept donations of gift items for our NICU fathers for this event, as well as treats or food items.
• Monday, June 22: Father’s Day celebration (time TBD)

July 

• Wednesday, July 1: Canada Day celebration (1pm-3pm) We gratefully accept related craft materials and treats for this celebration.
• Monday, July 6:  “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Friday, July 10: Morning Coffee: PanAm games edition (10am-12pm) We gratefully accept related craft materials and treats for this celebration.
• Monday, July 13: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, July 16: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Saturday, July 19: Saturday Shakes (2pm-4pm)
• Monday, July 21: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, July 24: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, July 28: “Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)

August

• Thursday, August 6: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Sunday, August 9: Ice Cream Sunday (1pm-3pm) We gratefully accept donations of ice cream and sundae items for this event
• Monday, August 10: Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, August 13: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, August 17: Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, August 20: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Monday, August 24: Milk & Cookies” Education Session (1pm-3pm)
• Thursday, August 27: Morning Coffee (10am-12pm)
• Saturday, August 29: Saturday Shakes (2pm-4pm)

The post NICU events … and how you can help appeared first on Your Health Matters.

So you might think that now that Santa has visited, and all the beautiful hand-made items have arrived, and all the carols have been sung, that we’re slowing down for the holidays. NOPE!  Our wonderful breastfeeding resource nurse had one more big event up her sleeve. We have many great bakers on staff, and she asked them to bake cookies and squares to give to our families.

Well, they came through. Big time!

One view of the counter in our parent room, laden with goodies.

Another tray-full of deliciousness.

Even more sweetness!  To all of you wonderful people who baked for our families … THANK YOU!  And to Luisa, who puts so much time and effort into making things special for families … we love you!

We also had a couple of super-special donations to help families via our Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic. Creations for Charity is a group that donates LEGO sets to families in need.  Simon Liu, the Canadian rep, arranged for a MASSIVE drop-off (pictured above), and we’ve been happily giving them out to our families who need a bit of help with holiday gifts. A hearty thank you to Simon and Creations for Charity – what a wonderful program, and we are so honoured that you thought of us!

We also want to thank one of our dieticians, her child and her child’s school, who did a toy drive for us this year. We are so grateful!  And to all of you who brought gift baskets, candy, teddy bears for babies, photos, cards, and more … thank you! The fact that you took time to think of us moves us immensely.

One final note: we were talking in a parent group about the season, and how it can be burdensome when you’re in the hospital. You might feel forced into good cheer when it’s the last way you want to feel. Or you don’t celebrate the holidays that people around you are celebrating, and that might make you feel isolated. So we were talking about that in our group, and one of our mothers who does not celebrate Christmas said, “I don’t really mind. It’s a story about a baby, and how the whole world stopped for that baby. The world should treat every baby like that.”  We thought that was a beautiful sentiment, and wanted to close on that note. We celebrate every baby in our unit, and recognize each one, and each family, as a miracle.

Happy holidays to you all! Stay warm, stay safe, be merry. Or, as one mom said in her card to us, “Merry Always! Happy Everything!”

The post Our hearts are REALLY full appeared first on Your Health Matters.

The post Our hearts are full (part two: Intensive Carolling edition) appeared first on Your Health Matters.

For example, a couple of days ago a graduate family dropped by with boxes and boxes of baked goods to give to staff and to families. They wrote a beautiful card which ended with: “Take a cookie or two (or six) and have a happy moment! All our good wishes and prayers are with you.” Thank you, you lovely people, for taking so much time to bake and put together these thoughtful (and yummy) gifts.  We hope you know how much they were appreciated. (Plus your baby is absolutely delicious. Just had to add that!)

Last Thursday, we had two very special guests in our NICU. Anke Flohr provides spiritual care at Sunnybrook, and Helen Chang-Dawson is a music therapist in our Veterans Centre. They were inspired by a quote from Pliny the Elder that is featured on a wall in our NICU: “Hope is the pillar that holds up the world”.  They brought together parents in our unit with music and a wreath of hope. We wrote our hopes for our children and ourselves on tags which we attached to the wreath. It was an utterly beautiful, peaceful and healing experience.  Afterwards a mother wrote to say, “I didn’t know how much I needed that, until I had it.”  Helen and Anke, you brought us peace, beauty and hope. Thank you, and we wish for you those same gifts that you gave us.

And finally (for now) … there is something about NICUs that inspires crafty and artistic people to creative heights. The little animal on the left was knitted by an aunt of one of our nurses. She made enough stuffed animals that we can give one to every baby in our unit. The little hat on the right was made by a grandma of one of our graduate babies; in addition to these adorable gingerbread men hats, she did snowman hats, fancy sparkly white and pink hats, and miniature Santa hats that are just the right size for our little people. We are so grateful!

Stay tuned … we have more stories of generosity, creativity and kindness to share with you.

The post Our hearts are full (part one) appeared first on Your Health Matters.