Sandra Schmirler Foundation Helps Give Newborns the Strongest Start

Thanks to a generous $20,000 gift from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, Health Sciences North (HSN) has strengthened care for its youngest and most vulnerable patients with the addition of a Panda Infant Warmer for the Birthing Centre and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

This essential equipment provides immediate thermal regulation, resuscitation support, and integrated monitoring for newborns during their most critical moments. Every baby born at HSN benefits from this technology. For premature and low-birth-weight infants, it plays a life-saving role by helping stabilize them from the moment of birth.

This latest investment builds on a $37,000 grant in 2024 that supported the Pediatric Step-Up Unit, reflecting a continued commitment to advancing care for families across Northeastern Ontario.

Darren McEwen, Executive Director of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, shared:

“The Sandra Schmirler Foundation is proud to support HSN and the NEO Kids, Family and Women’s+ Program because no family should have to travel too far to access specialized care for their newborn. Equipment like the Panda Infant Warmer helps babies born premature or critically ill receive advanced care closer to home, while helping families stay together during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Supporting hospitals like HSN helps ensure more babies in Northern Ontario can receive the care they deserve, right in their own community.”

Through its 25th anniversary year, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation continues to honour Sandra’s legacy by helping babies born too soon, too small, or too sick to have the chance to grow up healthy and strong.