The CHEO Foundation is continuing one of its long-standing traditions.
CHEO’s annual Telethon is underway and the foundation is looking to raise some much needed donations for the children’s hospital to help provide life-saving care for patients.
President and CEO for the foundation Kevin Keohane says anyone who’s ever needed treatment at CHEO knows how impactful the telethon can be.
“We want donors to see the impact of what they are doing,” Keohane. “Because when you hear the words: ‘CHEO Foundation helping families,’ it’s not us who are helping families, it’s you that’s helping families, and we want people to feel proud and take credit for lending a hand.”
The telethon honours heroes, survivors, and the dedicated teams working to overcome challenges like childhood cancer, rare disease and mental illness.
One of those individuals is Kemptville resident and CHEO cancer survivor Annie Underhill.
Underhill was diagnosed with leukemia when she was four-years-old, and spent much of her younger life in and out of CHEO.
She says she’s felt the impact this event has on patients and the hospital firsthand.
“I am a success story of CHEO,” Underhill said. “I have graduated university in Communications thanks to the CHEO Foundation, and I work with them now. Every donation to the Telethon helps toward a child’s success.”
Donations to the telethon will help CHEO continue to diagnose and treat the kids who come through their doors; offer patient and family support programs, and ensure CHEO’s social workers can assist families in financial hardship;
Now in her 20s, Underhill says she’s extremely thankful to have been able to live as close to the hospital as she did.
“We are so lucky in Leeds-Grenville to have that so close to our community,” Underhill said. “I can never stress that enough. To know there’s that support and that family system that is so close to us. It’s just a warm feeling.”
Every donation made during the telethon will be matched by one of the many event sponsors and double the impact of the donation.
The telethon runs until June 6, and to donate, you can head to CHEO’s website.