Thanks to the incredible support of our community, the Hamilton family will be funding a SECOND paediatric room in their late son Zack’s honour.
Zack Hamilton was born with numerous health concerns and lived a short by meaningful life. He passed away on March 10, 2011 but not before leaving an incredible impact on the lives of so many.
Unit Secretary Sue Steel had the pleasure of meeting Zack and his amazing family several times during his short life, during his visits to York Central Hospital.
“Zack was a courageous loving boy with a bright twinkle in his eye. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him at work or at home. When Zackary passed away I wanted us (the Paediatric unit 5 east) to do something to remember Zackie by,” said Sue.
Zack’s Dream Room was born shortly afterwards.
“From that moment on, working with Zackie's incredible mom Heather, we started to fundraise. One of our very first events was a bake sale that we held at York Central Hospital that in a few hours raised over $900. I am so proud to have been part of this great journey of honouring Zack.”
To date, Heather and her family have raised more than $43,000 towards the paediatric refurbishment project and Zack’s Dream Room through online auctions, Twitter parties, events and through their customized website.
Because of their success, they have decided to continue raising funds to refurbish a second room at York Central Hospital.
“With the help of Zack’s brothers; Ty and Jayden, our vision for the second room is a wall featuring the favourite animals of our family: elephant, lion, hippo, cheetah and Zack’s favourite, the giraffe. The five animals will represent our family and allow us to all be together again on the walls at York Central,” said Heather.
Funds from Zack’s Dream Room events will also be used to provide the children and parents with the comforts of home; magazines, toys, toiletries, as well as arts and crafts supplies.
You can help support Zack’s Dream Room by visiting zacksdreamroom.ychfoundation.ca.
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York Central Hospital's six-bed Paediatric Unit is located in patient rooms that were built in 1973 and no longer meet the current standards of hospital room best practices.
This unit is in desperate need of refurbishment to address the distinct needs of hospitalized children, their caregivers and healthcare providers.
To help our young patients get the care they need, the Paediatric Unit will undergo a renovation to create a more home-like, comfortable environment.
Our new Paediatric Unit will feature six family-friendly rooms that provide increased infection control and privacy in an often stressful environment. Spacious rooms with ample windows will offer natural light to provide the ability to relax in a more comfortable setting. Improvements will include:
• Replacing the flooring
• Upgrading the bathrooms
• Equipping 4 of the rooms with cribs to accommodate our tiniest patients
• Repainting and installing new window treatments
Each room will have upgraded medical technology:
• Standardized patient pumps to deliver life-saving medicine and fluids
• Vital signs monitors to facilitate around-the-clock monitoring of patient conditions
Family plays an essential role in the healing process of children. We want family to feel welcome to participate in the care of their child, rather than feeling helpless or like an obstacle to our healthcare team. To acknowledge this collaboration of care, every room will offer:
• Comfortable sleeping accommodations for family members with a secure storage area
• In-room space to help parents manage home and work life during their child’s hospital stay
This unit is in desperate need of refurbishment to address the distinct needs of hospitalized children, their caregivers and healthcare providers.
To help our young patients get the care they need, the Paediatric Unit will undergo a renovation to create a more home-like, comfortable environment.
Our new Paediatric Unit will feature six family-friendly rooms that provide increased infection control and privacy in an often stressful environment. Spacious rooms with ample windows will offer natural light to provide the ability to relax in a more comfortable setting. Improvements will include:
• Replacing the flooring
• Upgrading the bathrooms
• Equipping 4 of the rooms with cribs to accommodate our tiniest patients
• Repainting and installing new window treatments
Each room will have upgraded medical technology:
• Standardized patient pumps to deliver life-saving medicine and fluids
• Vital signs monitors to facilitate around-the-clock monitoring of patient conditions
Family plays an essential role in the healing process of children. We want family to feel welcome to participate in the care of their child, rather than feeling helpless or like an obstacle to our healthcare team. To acknowledge this collaboration of care, every room will offer:
• Comfortable sleeping accommodations for family members with a secure storage area
• In-room space to help parents manage home and work life during their child’s hospital stay
For further information on the project, please contact Luci Anderson, Director, Major Gifts (landerson@yorkcentral.on.ca) or Tammy Bucci, Major Gifts Officer (tbucci@yorkcentral.on.ca)
