This year’s WINK Den Event is almost here!

On March 8, 2022, members of the Women in Kindness (WINK) will gather together (virtually) to cast their final vote for which program (ICU or Breast Health) will win the $100,000+ pot.

WINK is a group of powerful women working together to support Humber River Hospital. Together, they decide where their funds will be used, making meaningful change throughout our Hospital community.

We profiled two of our previous WINK winners along with this year’s program finalists for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Breast Health.

Paula Villafana – Mental Health (2019/2020 Winner of WINK) 

Paula Villafana is the Program Director for Mental Health and Addictions at Humber River Hospital. Paula represented the Mental Health and Addictions Program at the first WINK Den Event for the 2019-2020 season.  She shares her joy and gratitude that the program was voted to win the $32,000 pot in combined donations.

“Winning the first-ever WINK Den Event has impacted the Mental Health and Addictions Program tremendously and we’re incredibly grateful to have been chosen,” Paula said. “Through donor support, we were able to help more patients gain access to tangible purchases likes iPads, digital thermometers, and new tables and chairs to accommodate the growth of group therapy sessions.”

Paula also mentioned how grateful patient, Joanne, who shared her story at the WINK Den event, is one of many success stories in the program. “Because of the community who supports the Hospital with donations, Joanne was able to get the help she needed and that truly means so much to us.”

Dr. Graham Black – NICU (2020/2021 Winner of WINK) 

Dr. Graham Black, a pediatrician at Humber River Hospital. Dr. Black represented the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), who was voted as the winner at last year’s WINK Den Event.

“Knowing these group of women decided to raise and gift the NICU with $50,000 is amazing,” Dr. Black said. “Because of their decision, we are one step closer to purchasing a new ventilator for the NICU, one of four that will allow us to expand care for smaller and sicker babies.”

In addition, he said that this gift will help upgrade the NICU from a Level 2B to a Level 2C, which will provide care for babies that are born up to two and a half months earlier than expected.

“Seeing parents and their babies go home after staying in the NICU, sometimes for weeks and months at a time, always brings a smile to our NICU staff and myself. The kindness from these women has brought so much positive impact to our youngest patients and their families – more than they’ll know.”

Cecille Marville-Williams – ICU (Finalist for 2021/2022)

This year’s WINK Den Event program finalist is Cecile Marville-Williams, who represents the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Cecile is the Program Director of Critical Care, Cardiology, Respiratory and Oncology at Humber River Hospital.

This year’s WINK Den Event pot is over $100,000 thanks to the generosity of WINK members. Cecile says it would be incredibly meaningful if the ICU was chosen as this year’s winner, especially as the ICU continues to fight COVID-19.

“It has been an unprecedented two years because of the pandemic. Our ICU teams are now treating many unvaccinated patients and the immunocompromised, as well as dealing with staffing challenges and exhaustion…so it’s been a difficult time for us all,” Cecile said.

“Winning this year’s funding would allow us to purchase cardiac monitors for 12 new ICU beds, an expansion that would help us to better serve our community by having critical care beds available for the sickest patients, keeping patients closer to home so families can visit easily and often, and making sure Hospital services remain open, even in times of crisis and the ongoing pandemic.”

Natasha Batchelor – Breast Health (Finalist for 2021/2022)  

Lastly, this year’s second WINK Den Event program finalist representative is Natasha Batchelor. Natasha is representing Breast Health as Humber River Hospital’s Breast Health Supervisor and Navigator.

Natasha will pitch Breast Health to the WINK members at this year’s WINK Den Event because the team is hoping to improve the patient experience through seed localization surgery. Traditionally, wire-guided localization has been used to locate and mark tumors inside a breast so they could easily be removed in surgery. Natasha says this is not the most comfortable procedure for the patient as the wire can stick out and shift if the patient moves too much or the wrong way.

“Thanks to innovation and new technology, we can now use a small, implantable seed that is inserted directly into the tumor,” Natasha said. “If Breast Health is given the opportunity to win this year’s WINK Den Event, it would allow much more comfort for the patient(s) when they come to the Hospital to get their seed-localization procedure done.”

Join WINK today!  

There’s still time to join WINK and make your vote count! Click here to join today, or contact Lindsay Owen at lowen@hrh.ca to get started!