Elk Valley Thrift Shop Making a Difference

Elk Valley Thrift Shop Making a Difference

Sparwood, BC…  It may be a small tea cup, the jacket you always wanted, a book or a piece of furniture but whatever it is when you purchase it at the Elk Valley Thrift Shop it is making a difference for someone or something.

That something in this story is the East Kootenay Foundation for Health.   The local Thrift Shop has recently made two donations ($6700) to help purchase some important items for the Sparwood Health Center.

The first is a bi-pap machine to be used in the Sparwood Emergency Department for critically ill or injured patients that have difficulty maintaining their own airway.  The Bipap machine complements the patient’s own respiratory cycle, optimizing the lungs’ efficiency and reducing the work of breathing in respiratory insufficiency or respiratory failure.  Essentially the machine will breathe for the patient at the correct rate, volume and pressure when the patient is suffering from severe acute respiratory distress related to conditions such as pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and trauma.

The additional gift allowed for the purchase of two bariatric chairs to be located in the second of the patient waiting areas to accommodate patients weighing over 300 lbs.

Photo details:   Back row:  Janice Talarico, Bonnie Scholpp, Leala Tomlinson from IH and Glen Purdy (EKFH).  Front row:  Leigh Ramsay & Katrin Taylor (Elk Valley Thrift Shop)

Photo details:  R-L:  Leala Tomlinson, Glen Purdy (EKFH), Leigh Ramsay & Katrin Taylor (Elk Valley Thrift Shop) & Janice Talarico. 

EKFH is grateful to the Elk Valley Thrift Shop and its customers who are making a difference in health care for those living in the Elk Valley.    For more information on activities of your regional hospital foundation or to make a donation please visit our website:   www.ekfh.ca.