The Farquhar Chrysler Charity Golf Tournament continues to come closest to the pin in its support of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC).
The Farquhar team is proud to announce the seventh annual event has raised a tournament record of $43,150. This year, the tournament doubled its impact through a matching gift from a generous, anonymous, community donor.
This year’s proceeds will fully fund a Giraffe isolette for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The Giraffe is an all-in-one neonatal care station. It is a full-featured incubator and a radiant warmer, that helps reduce the stress on neonates. “I am passionate about babies and their families and ensuring they have access to the best possible care, close to home,” the anonymous donor shared.
“NBRHC currently has two Giraffe stations in the NICU. With a high prevalence of multiple and premature births in our region, a third unit costs $85,000 and is needed to meet the needs of these delicate infants,” said Kim Carter, Manager, Women & Children. “If both Giraffes are in use, [the mother and baby or babies] must be referred to other primary care centres in Sudbury, Ottawa or Toronto.”
Dennis Murphy, his wife Elizabeth and their daughter Caitlyn have a personal reason for organizing the tournament each year. “The hospital was there for us when Caitlyn was a baby and our experience at that time inspired us to give back to the NICU, a local cause that is important to us,” said Murphy. “We thank the individuals and businesses in North Bay that support us every year, and we are incredibly grateful to our ‘quiet donor’ who further inspired us and our supporters to strive toward this aggressive target so we can continue our ongoing support of children and babies.”
The NICU at NBRHC accommodates eight newborns, cares for acutely ill neonates and their families, and is a high-risk referral Centre for areas surrounding North Bay.
Justin Forget, tournament participant shared his experience. “After a complicated pregnancy, our daughter Payton Grace was born a month early, weighing 3.14 pounds,” he said. “She was immediately admitted into the NICU where she received breathing support with a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, helping her lungs develop, an IV to give her medicine and hydrate her, and a feeding tube. She spent three and a half weeks in the NICU where she was taken care of by some of the best nurses I have ever met,” he added.
Farquhar Chrysler Owner and Dealer Principal Ryan Farquhar said the Farquhar Chrysler Family understands the importance of our hospital and funding medical equipment, which is not paid for by the province. “At some point we all will need our hospital. The NICU is a high-risk referral centre for areas surrounding North Bay providing care to our hospital’s tiniest patients,” said Farquhar.
Since 2014, the Farquhar Chrysler Charity Golf Tournament has helped raised more than $92,600 supporting the NBRHC’s youngest patients.
- 2014 – Cribette and Biliblanket
- 2015 – Pediatric Cardiac Monitor
- 2016 – Pediatric Cardiac Monitor
- 2017 – SiPAP Machine and Infusion Pump
- 2018 – Isolette and Chairs
“Dennis Murphy, his family and the Farquhar Chrysler Family make this golf tournament a success every year. Their passion and dedication inspired the donor’s matching gift and year after year, his loyal sponsors and participants come out in full force to support our tiny patients and their families,” stated Tammy Morison, President and CEO, NBRHC Foundation.
