In just under a month the 800 CHAB Family First Radiothon will take over the Town n’ Country Mall for its 16th year on September 8 and 9.

The Radiothon will broadcast live for 36 hours and is looking to raise $138,000 for the Moose Jaw Health Foundation, which will go towards new equipment for the Pediatrics and Women’s Health Units at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Hospital.

Kelsey Heebner is a Registered Nurse in the Women’s Health Unit and explains the importance of new equipment within the units.

“The equipment we rely on very, very heavily especially in labour and delivery, monitoring a baby’s heart rate is very important for us throughout the labour and delivery experience,” says Heebner. “Without those monitors, it would be very hard for us to know how the baby is doing and monitoring the mom.”

The new equipment the unit is looking to buy with the money raised from the radiothon is a new wireless fetal heart monitor, neonatal incubator, phototherapy blanket for the nursery, pediatric glidescope, and pediatric beds.

“The wireless fetal heart monitor would be very beneficial. It would allow our patients to be up and mobile while we monitor them. The billy blankets are for babies that need phototherapy or have jaundice," says Heebner.

“We have one on our unit right now, and it just allows the parents to be able to hold the baby while they're receiving the phototherapy. A new bed we’re looking at and that’s for the comfort of the patients.”

The Family First Radiothon is built around the generosity of the people of Moose Jaw and surrounding areas to help support health care workers such as Heebner.

“Without donation’s coming through with radiothon we wouldn’t be able to purchase some of this equipment. Any little donation, big donations, they will make a difference and put to get used in the community.”

The fundraiser already has a head start from ACT/UCT. 

ACT/UCT has kicked off the donations with $3,000 going to the 800 CHAB Family First Radiothon and a $2,500 donation to Palliative Care.

All money that's raised during the radiothon stays in Moose Jaw to better serve patients at the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital.