Charity Overview
Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Its vision is simple: Healthier Children. A Better World. SickKids believes fighting for the health and well-being of children is one of the most powerful ways to improve society. That’s why SickKids is fighting to save lives, to find new cures and to provide world-class care.
Project Summary
With the help of valued supporters, like ICAP Charity Day, SickKids has continued to provide world-class care to every child who needs it during the COVID-19 pandemic - even with only one caregiver allowed in a room at a time, and everyone masked. But, if anything, the hospital’s needs have increased. For example:
- With patients confined to their rooms, Child Life specialists have had to find safe, ‘distanced’ ways to keep kids stimulated and engaged. Child Life TV has ramped up, doubling its schedule to 15 live weekday shows and, for the first time ever, four weekend shows
- Children’s mental health has taken a big hit during the pandemic - at SickKids, emergency consults for mental health are up 21%, urgent care bookings are up 151%, and ambulatory referrals are up 51%
- Donations have helped house more families from out-of-town, and cover the cost of medical equipment and devices to keep our other patients cared for at home
- SickKids researchers have channeled their energies into more than 100 studies to combat COVID-19 with new tools for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and to help kids and families cope with the long-term health effects of the pandemic
- SickKids became a COVID-19 testing site, analyzing up to 6,000 samples a day at the peak of the pandemic
But thanks to ICAP Charity Day and a community of supporters, SickKids has been able to remain nimble and effective during the pandemic, while keeping patients, families and staff safe and well. While staff have been ready for the challenges they’ve faced, our building is not. We need to build a new SickKids to:
- Better control infections
- Offer more safe and soothing individual patient rooms
- Create family spaces to promote healing and mental health
See more of Our Impact
