Photo: KGH Foundation

Humans of KGH: Tanveer Gil, a Registered Nurse working in the Operating Room at Kelowna General Hospital, is one of several KGH staff members participating in the 'We See You' campaign.

The KGH Foundation announced its newest fundraising initiative today, the 'We See You' campaign.

It's a joint effort in recognizing the unseen, unsung heroes of Kelowna General Hospital and seeking support for frontline staff, who continue to provide medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Earlier this month local photographer, Darren Hull, captured the faces of those behind the masks, working in local healthcare through the crisis.

KGH still operates as an acute care hospital; disease, injury and medical emergencies do not yield for pandemics.

While the community has complied with ‘stay home’ recommendations, the hospital continues to provide services to hundreds of patients every day. 

“We’ve had over $2 million in requests for funding since the beginning of the pandemic,” says Doug Rankmore, CEO of the KGH Foundation.  

“This includes needs for very specialized equipment to increase the capacity for lab testing; equipment to support patients who are experiencing multiple organ failure; and funding to support clinical research trials to treat the virus and speed its detection."

Rankmore adds they didn't anticipate these needs and that is why they're appealing to the public for support.

The ‘We See You’ campaign provides an opportunity for the community – as patients, family members, colleagues, neighbours, friends and citizens – to demonstrate their gratitude for local health care.

“The gratitude shown by the community for our frontline staff here at Kelowna General has been nothing short of overwhelming,” says Jaymi Chernoff Executive Director, clinical operations at KGH. 

“I’m so proud of our staff for stepping up the way they have during this crisis. Our teams continue to treat people with cardiac disease, cancer, stroke and everything else the hospital deals with on a daily basis."

The fundraising campaign will culminate on Jun. 18, the KGH Foundation’s annual Day of Giving. All gifts made until then will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000