Thompson Rivers University and the ICCHA Wish Fund are looking to raise $1 million as bursaries for nursing students.
Founder of the ICCHA Wish Fund Al Patel says the first bursary will be awarded before this coming September.
“The current pandemic will always remind us that the nurses are the backbone of our community. And without them, our healthcare system will fail. For every $50,000 raised, we will provide a full four-year’s tuition for one aspiring nursing student. And that is a promise,” he says.
“It is our duty to give them the tools to succeed. And those who wish to be a nurse, can you imagine, when this gift of giving comes in their hands, they’ll be touching so many hearts and people to give them comfort. It’s a divine gift.”
The timeline for distributing the money will depend on when donations come in, and it will be awarded in $50,000-dollar bursaries to students.
Patel says eligible students will have to apply through the university; he says student eligibility will depend on grades, and applicants will have to be Canadian citizens.
He says eight donors in the community – he and seven others – have already provided the first $100,000 of the bursary fund; he thanked those donors, and calls that “the seed” for kickstarting the campaign. He says the ICCHA Wish Fund is accepting donations of any size from people and businesses.
One of the fundraiser’s early contributors is Amrita Ebata, the co-owner of Ebata Eyecare, almost across the street from the new nursing building at TRU. Ebata says she has donated $15,000, saying nurses hold a special place in her heart.
“They’re actually the reason why my heart is functioning today,” Ebata says, talking about an incident that happened about nine years ago.
“My heart rate dropped to 23 beats per minute, and I was taken to the intensive care stepdown unit. My family was told I might not survive the night.”
She says she spent a month at Royal Inland Hospital after her health scare, and fully recovered.
“I credit my recovery to the amazing nurses who provided their heart and soul into providing the best care for me around the clock,” Ebata says
“Nurses aren’t just the backbone of our community. They give us a hand to hold, an ear to listen to, and are the shoulders that everyone in healthcare leans on. The impact that nurses have on patients, and on the entirety of healthcare, is more than we know.”
Other donors as part of the first $100,000 are Bridgeport Floors, Charan Rai, Linda Turner Realty, Lyons Landscaping, Sairam Developments and Windsor Plywood.
