Rose's Story

 

Better diagnostics. Better treatment. Healthier children. That’s what the GE- Vivid-i echocardiography machine – a machine purchased through a gift in a will to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba -- has enabled. Dr. Yasser El-Sayed and his colleague Dr. Michael Narvey are highly trained physicians who provide leadership in echocardiography. According to Dr. El-Sayed, since its purchase in 2010, the machine has vastly enhanced the accurate diagnosis and treatment of infants with heart issues. 

 

This is thanks to a legacy gift made through the will of Rose Rudko. A friend and supporter of the Children’s Hospital Foundation, Rose made a gift in her

will totalling $218,000 which made the purchase of an echocardiography machine possible. Children are better and healthier because of her gift. 

 

An echocardiography machine provides a “window into the heart,” thanks to ultrasound images that show how the heart is working and how much blood is being pumped. Previously, doctors had to use their best judgement about how to proceed with a sick infant and what drugs to try. This was because an immediate and accurate diagnosis of heart problems was sometimes difficult. 

 

In addition to being used for patient care, the echocardiography machine is also used in medical research. This greatly benefits those training in intensive care for newborns and helps to advance best practices in children’s medicine generally. 

 

At present, between 30 and 40 infants benefit from this machine a month. That’s almost 500 children per year who receive more accurate diagnoses and therefore better treatment. 

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