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Sandra Schmirler Foundation donates $10,000 to Red Deer hospital

Donation will go towards electronic fetal heart monitoring project
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(MaxPixel)

The charity named after famed Canadian curler Sandra Schmirler is donating $10,000 to go towards the electronic fetal monitoring project at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.

“We want all babies born too soon, too small or too sick to have the chance to grow up and be champions,” says Ian Cunningham, chair of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation board.

“The reason we exist is to honour Sandra’s legacy and to remember her by raising funds to donate to NICUs (neonatal intensive care units) and hospitals. It’s very rewarding for us to be able to support the purchase of this crucial piece of equipment for their NICU.”

Fetal heart rates are monitored during pregnancy, labour and birth to assess the baby’s well-being. Currently, fetal heart rate tracings are captured through bedside monitors that print paper records and can only be viewed while at the machine.

The grant moves the hospital a step closer to obtaining the technology for electronic fetal monitoring, which will allow for digital records, preset alarms, and a reduced risk of user error through the elimination of the paper-based system.

The grant was to coincide with a Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event presented by Sportsnet. The Humpty’s Champion Cup event was scheduled to take place in Olds this April but due to COVID-19 has been moved to the curling bubble in Calgary.

Even though the event, which provided a fundraising opportunity for the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, was relocated, the foundation honoured its commitment to the host cities of Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events. This grant brings the total amount provided to more than $600,000.



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