THUNDER BAY – LIVING – Kian Fleming arrived at 11:34 a.m. on New Year’s Day, earning him the title of Northwestern Ontario’s first baby for Thunder Bay in 2015. Each year, our community anticipates the announcement of the first New Year’s Baby born at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).
Kian was made an honorary member of the First Marks Club. His name and birth date will be inscribed in a baby-sized footprint and permanently added to the Celebration of Life Wall. The Wall is located in the Maternal Child Unit.
The First Marks Club is a program of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation and raises funds in support of the Maternal Child Unit at TBRHSC. Proud parents, grandparents, friends, and family can have a footprint with Baby’s name and birth date added to the wall with a minimum donation of $250. The footprints permanently mark the miraculous occasion of a newborn’s arrival.
Enrolment in the First Marks Club makes a truly unique gift and is ideal for baby showers and group giving. All proceeds from the First Marks Club help fund equipment and programs to care for the precious patients in the Maternal Child unit. For example, donor support has helped fund isolettes, infant warmers, monitors for babies in Neonatal Intensive Care, and Neonatal Emergency Care Training Equipment.
The First Marks Club and the Celebration of Life Wall were created to honour the memory of Dr. Shirley Inouye, a well known physician in our community. Dr. Inouye was the first female physician to have a full-time practice in Thunder Bay and delivered over 3,000 babies throughout her 30-year career. After a courageous battle with cancer, Dr. Inouye passed away on July 22, 2001.
Please contact the Health Sciences Foundation at 345-4673 for more information about the First Marks Club in support of the Maternal Child Unit. Together, we make a healthier Northwestern Ontario.
