Donor generosity supports new service to protect children from the harmful impacts of troubled sleeping
Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre officially opened its new paediatric sleep lab, which will reduce wait times for services and ensure patients facing sleep issues in Western Ontario receive the best possible care.
“Unchecked sleep disorders can cause impaired growth, cardiovascular and metabolic issues, behavioral problems, an inability to function in school and an overall decrease in a child’s quality of life,” says Dr. Aaron St. Laurent, Paediatric Respirologist with Children’s Hospital, LHSC. “We are making a promise today to ensure our patients receive timelier comprehensive sleep care close to home.”
The new sleep lab will be one of only three paediatric tertiary care sleep labs in Ontario. Currently, children face a wait list of at least a year to be tested for sleep issues. Once Children’s Hospital’s sleep lab is fully established, staff anticipate being able to assess more than 350 patients each year.
“Having this service in their own backyard, I’m certain, will be a relief for many,” says Lynanne Mason, Director Paediatric Inpatients, Outpatients and Regional Health Integration, Children’s Hospital, LHSC. “It has been a long road to open this sleep lab and we couldn’t have done it without the generosity of Children’s Health Foundation donors.”
Children’s Health Foundation donors helped fund the cost of the equipment needed to create the sleep lab. More than $400,000 in donations purchased monitoring equipment, wearable sensors, CO2 monitors and more. The Air Canada Foundation was the largest single donor to the project.
“Children’s Health Foundation is proud to partner with community leaders, like the Air Canada Foundation. We are grateful to them for recognizing the need and funding this valuable resource for our community,” says Scott Fortnum, President and CEO of Children’s Health Foundation. “A good night sleep is incredibly important for our children’s well-being. It is vital that those who show signs of sleep issues receive the support that they need to live full and healthy lives.”
