Dear friends:

While we are all glued to our news sources seeking information and wondering how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect our loved ones, I want to assure you that here at CHEO there is a team of dedicated health professionals working with incredible expertise, focus, passion and calm to tackle the situation head-on. I’m proud to say this is how CHEO operates day after day, month after month, year after year.

The doctors, nurses, administrators, facilities workers, volunteers and everyone who continues to work grueling hours under tremendous pressure are deserving of our thanks and everlasting respect. But it is my privilege to recognize another group of heroes for CHEO – you, and the entire family of donors whose generosity built CHEO into a world-class healthcare facility. The support you have already provided to CHEO has enabled us to be prepared for these challenging times. Your contributions have made CHEO capable of taking a lead role during a time of intense need and knowing that you will be there as part of our ONE TEAM philosophy will help us immensely.

While there is much uncertainty around COVID 19, one thing is certain, CHEO will continue to touch the lives of 500,000 children and youth in the coming year. Please take pride knowing that your donation allows CHEO to serve these patients by providing life-saving treatment, state-of-the-art medical equipment and ground-breaking research. In ways big and small you are keeping CHEO current so we can address our usual day to day needs as well as tackle what is needed during this global pandemic.

Your donation helps to:

• diagnose and treat the children who come through our doors,
• offer patient and family support programs that are such a vital part of the care provided at CHEO,
• ensure CHEO’s social workers can assist families in financial hardship,
• be there for CHEO’s most medically complex and vulnerable patients who may be at greatest risk from respiratory diseases like COVID-19,
• send caregivers home with the right medical devices, feeding equipment, sanitizing products and medications so that they can successfully manage care outside of the hospital setting.

None of this would be possible without YOU as part of our ONE TEAM.

We are all dedicated to making the necessary changes to events and other fundraising initiatives during this time. Here’s what you need to know:

• Your donations are more important than ever before. To ensure we are reactive to the needs in the hospital, when making a donation please select Urgent Needs – CHEO General in the drop down menu.
• Fortunately, our online fundraising efforts will continue to offer a safe and reliable way for the community to support the work going on at CHEO every day.
• At this time we cannot accept certain types of gift in kind donations. But, once it is safe to do so we want to work with you to ensure patients have the necessary distractions needed to help CHEO feel like home. All inquiries can be sent to: [email protected].
• If you are inquiring about the donation of medical supplies, equipment or food, please email [email protected].
• Our phone line, 613-737-2780, is being monitored.
• Our general email is being monitored: [email protected].
• All of CHEO’s public fundraising events scheduled for April and May have already been cancelled or postponed and we will send updates on those and other events as information becomes available.
• For families with questions regarding a visit to CHEO we have a CHEO helpline: 613-737-7600 ext. 6720 with operators ready to serve you. There is also up-to-date information at cheo.on.ca.
• For anyone with questions regarding COVID-19, Ottawa Public Health is a great resource: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/novel-coronavirus.aspx .
• If you would like to be added to our e-mail list so we can update you on recent news and our future events please subscribe here.

Sincerely,

Kevin Keohane

President and CEO
CHEO Foundation

Consider supporting CHEO at this time by donating to urgent needs.