Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Thank You CHEO Breakfast kicks off CHEO telethon fundraising

Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Thank You CHEO Breakfast was held Friday morning, raising thousands of dollars ahead of the CHEO telethon on Saturday.

CFRA’s Bill Carroll hosted his show, The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll, on site at the CHEO Hospital from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

During the broadcast, six-year-old Zianna Ruparelia read a poem on how the hospital has changed her life.

“I still know there’s support everywhere and I know that my connection with CHEO will never end,” said Ruparelia. “CHEO makes me feel supported and cared for. They really feel like an extended part of the family.”

Ruparelia has needed care from the day that she was born.

“When she was born, she was deprived of a lot of oxygen because of an emergency C-section and it was a very difficult birth,” said Rakhi Ruparelia, Zianna’s mom. “She was on a CPAP machine to help her breathe at first, but we didn’t know what the effects were going to be long-term so it was a lot of wait and see.”

The money raised on Friday morning will go to support children and their families at CHEO.

“This is a big fundraiser for us so it’s a big part of how we provide equipment and programs and physical space to the kids and families that need us,” said Steve Read, CHEO Foundation’s President and CEO.

“It’s also a way to bring the community back behind-the-scenes to see some of the stories and to really understand the impact of their generosity.”

The breakfast is a kick-off to the CHEO Telethon, which starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday on CTV Ottawa. Phone lines are open and donations can also be made online at telethon.cheofoundation.com. Donations can also be called in at 613-730-CHEO (2436).

“There are really important ways that we’re using donor funding right now to build a new way of providing care in our integrated treatment center,” said Dr. Vera Etches, CHEO president and CEO. “It’s on time and it’s on budget. It’s bringing together mental health, autism care, rehabilitation and complex care so that families have what they need in one place.”

CTV’s Your Morning Ottawa also broadcasted at the hospital, connecting with families and medical professionals.

Those taking in the breakfast said the event was inspiring.

“I think it’s an amazing feeling,” said Marwauh Hamadi, who was at the breakfast while working at the hospital.

“At the same time, you feel like you’re the mother because I’m a mom of four kids so it feels really good. You’re also raising funds for these children and it helps them see themselves in another light.”

Every dollar raised at the phone banks on Friday will help children needing care at the hospital from across Canada and beyond.

“People are coming from all over the country and in fact, all over the world for some services here,” said Read. “Our catchment area is really growing.”

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