The Professional Fire Fighters of Greater Victoria (PFFGV) recently made a generous donation of $45,433 to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, helping fund an Infant Panda Warmer.

The warmer offers a controlled, open-warming environment for newborns who need extra care in their very first moments of life. The donation was marked by a special visit, as several firefighters from the PFFGV joined a parade of fire trucks around the hospital. Children in the Pediatrics Unit watched the fire trucks from their windows, while those who were able to come outside joined the cheque presentation and thanked the firefighters with handmade artwork.

The event also featured local mother Emily Aldridge, who shared how the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit cared for her twin sons during their 33-day stay after they were born prematurely, highlighting the life-changing impact of the hospital’s care and community support.

This recent donation is part of a second 10-year commitment from firefighters to raise $250,000, building on the promise they first made in 2011. So far, the firefighters have donated more than $395,000 to help purchase life-saving medical equipment for thousands of children on Vancouver Island. PFFGV is growing as new members from View Royal, Langford, Colwood, Central Saanich, and Sidney join the firefighters from Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, and Esquimalt, who were early champions of the paediatric commitment.

Source: Jeff Bell, Times Colonist