Little patients from here, cared for here.

Seven minutes.

That’s how long it takes Virginie to drive to Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne. And yet…

For months, she had to take a day off from work every two weeks. Crossing the bridge. Managing the anxiety of her son Nathan, who lives with chronic liver disease and autism spectrum disorder. Waiting for hours at Sainte-Justine for a simple blood test that’s not available close to home.

Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne offers pediatric care to thousands of children each year.

But without a day centre…

Children like Nathan and their families still have to travel far for care they could receive close to home.

And other children like Louis, hospitalized to receive intravenous antibiotics, spend nights in hospital for treatments they could get at an outpatient appointment.

This is where you come in. Do you want to join me in changing this reality?

I’m a pediatrician.

Every day, I see exhausted parents, children hospitalized when they could be asleep in their own bed, with their favourite teddy bear, close to their brothers and sisters.

Let me put in numbers. Every year, 1,200 children are hospitalized at Charles-Le Moyne. Not to mention 12,000 visits to ER. And 6,000 visits to outpatient clinics.

But I’d rather talk to you about the faces I see every day. About Nathan. And Louis. And all the children who could receive care in a different way, with your help.

Together, we can make this day centre a reality. We have the space. We have an exceptional team ready to offer .

What role will the day centre play? It’s a new way to treat our children, right here, in our region.

At the moment, children who need tests, intravenous treatment or complex medical follow-up have to be hospitalized for several days.

But this is not always necessary. This is where the day centre comes into play. It’s a place with a friendly atmosphere that’s adapted to their needs. A place where children come in the morning, receive the care they need and go home in the evening.

A place where they have access to the necessary hospital equipment: MRIs, ultrasound, diagnostic tests, nursing care, intravenous treatments… everything available in hospital, without having to spend the night there.

This day centre will also provide better follow-up for children with severe allergies.

It’s proven: a day centre reduces the number of needless hospitalizations and shortens necessary hospital stays.

Today, hundreds of children in our region are still being followed at hospitals in Montréal, just because we don’t have this day centre yet.

But we’re changing all that.

We’re working hand-in-hand with these hospitals so that children in our region can receive care closer to home, while maintaining their relationship with their subspecialist when necessary.

Instead of being sent to Montréal, young patients can receive care for most illnesses right here, in an environment designed for them, with the highest care standards.

Little patients from here, cared for here.

And that’s not all. At Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne, we’re training the pediatricians of tomorrow.

Our future day centre will not only be a place that provides care. It will also be a place of learning. A place where medical students, residents and physicians can work together, while offering children the highest quality of care.

We will never replace highly specialized pediatric centres like CHU Sainte-Justine or the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

But I can promise you this: we will become a referral centre in general pediatrics. Where each child receives the right care, at the right place, at the right time.

Today, this day centre still doesn’t exist. But tomorrow, thanks to you, it will.

I’ve made my donation. Would you consider making a donation to help us offer our children access to a care environment adapted to their needs?