'Without the NICU Hudson wouldn't be here:' 30th Z99 Radiothon gets underway

The Z99 Radiothon kicked off for the 30th year at the Cornwall Centre in Regina on Thursday morning, raising money to save babies’ lives.

The fundraiser has raised over $8 million since it began, bringing new and needed equipment to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the Rawlco Centre for Mother Baby Care at the Regina General Hospital.

Rachelle Brooks’ son Hudson is currently at the NICU after being born three months early.

She was moved from Estevan to Regina on Jan. 4. Less than a week later, an emergency C-section had to be done and Hudson was welcomed into the world.

“He was 810 grams (one pound 13 ounces) and 30.5 centimetres long so he was quite little,” Brooks said.

Hudson was immediately put onto the ventilator and was incubated for 49 days.

“Without the NICU Hudson wouldn’t be here.”

Brooks has been able to stay close to her baby because of the hospital’s Hostel Care. Hudson is just down the hallway.

“The hostel has been kind of a godsend to us.”

It’s not just adults making the donations, but some generous children as well.

Seven-year-old Olivia Rath decided that instead of receiving gifts for her birthday, she wanted people to make donations towards the fundraiser. In total, she received $200 and donated it on Thursday.

To Rath, the best gift is “saving a baby’s life.”

She wasn’t the only child donating to the cause, with eight-year-old Catherine Okolita donating $2,090 after creating and selling key chains.

The Radiothon ends on Friday evening. You can make donations online.

As of 8:00 p.m. Thursday, and 14 hours into the event, $181,964 had been raised.