For the tenth year in a row, the Humboldt District Hospital Foundation (HDHF) has been able to partner up with their local Tim Hortons for the annual Smile Cookie campaign.
This year, all proceeds raised from the week-long campaign will go towards purchasing an additional vein finder for the Humboldt Hospital.
According to HDHF executive director Lorrie Bunko, the vein finder is valuable when staff are having difficulty locating a vein and is especially helpful for the elderly, cancer patients, and children who have such delicate skin.
“The vein finder helps assist the staff, but it is also helping the patients. We have patients that have really hard-to-find veins, and there are so many different reasons why veins can be hard to find. This vein finder lights those veins up and finds the healthiest vein to draw from,” Bunko told northeastNOW.
“It’s so much for the comfort part of it, no health care worker wants to be going in unknown, and having to dig around for that vein. It can be really hard on a patient and it can hurt, so having that vein finder just relieves a lot of anxiety, and it’s just much easier on the patient and the healthcare worker.”
Smile Cookie Week began on Monday (May 1) and will run until Sunday (May 7).
One cookie will now set you back $1.60 (includes tax), but if you order six or more cookies at a time, it will only be $1.50 per cookie.
“We do look forward to the smile cookie campaign, we have a lot of fun with it. We also know that this is a gift to us by being asked to be part of this because there are so many deserving charities throughout the area, so it’s not expected by us, more so it’s a gift when we’re asked to be a part of it,” added Bunko.
“The amount of happiness and joy and connection smile cookie week brings is really heartwarming, just to be able to connect with so many people throughout the district and to see people’s posts on social media, young and old, that are sharing pictures of their smile cookies, and everyone’s smiling, like how can you not feel good this week?”
The hospital in Humboldt currently only has one vein finder, which is shared between all the departments, such as emergency, in-patient, lab, or even the OR.
The rough cost for an additional one is $18,000, which is expected to be fully covered by this week’s campaign.
“The vein finder is a high priority for our hospital, to be able to have an additional one, as our patient census continues to grow. Having a second one is going to save staff from having to track it down from department to department,” she said.
“Your purchase of a cookie brings a smile to yourself and the many others that you are supporting. Buy a smile for a smile.”
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