By Roger White

Stories abound from Radiothon

May 12, 2017 | 1:31 PM

As the On Air for Health Care Radiothon rolls along more and more stories are being shared about how beneficial the new ears, nose and throat (ENT) department will be to the Battlefords and surrounding area.

The 12-hour live broadcast on 1050 CJNB, 93.3 The Rock and Q98 runs until 6 p.m. this evening and is raising much needed funds for the ENT department to replace outdated equipment.

Rose Silzer-Quinn and her granddaughter Reece dropped by the BUH lobby to make a donation and share their story.

When Reece was three years old doctors discovered she was severely hearing impaired and needed to have tubes put in her ears. The surgery had to be performed in Saskatoon because Dr. Gerald Fernandez had retired from the BUH.

“We were treated very well in Saskatoon but it would have been so nice to be able to have the surgery here in North Battleford,” Silzer-Quinn said. “The amount of travel that was involved, the expense of taking days off from work all added up.”

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The BUH was without an ears, nose and throat surgeon for over two years until Dr. Abraham Awobem opened his practice in the Battlefords in November of 2016.

Jillian Seeback who works as an operating room scheduler at the Battlefords Union Hospital had a similar experience with her oldest son.

“My son was chronically getting sick with throat problems and his ear was bothering him to the point where he was having trouble hearing,” Seeback said. “Unfortunately we fell into the void where the surgeon had just retired and Dr. Awobem had yet to start his practice.”

Seeback said there was a few months’ wait from when her son became sick and when they were able to get into see the specialist in Saskatoon. She estimated that from the time her son became ill until he had his surgery it was almost a year wait.

“To have the new ENT specialist here in our hospital means that other families will be seen sooner and can be treated faster,” Seeback said.

The On Air for Health Care Radiothon has over $90,000 pledged so far and the goal is $380,000.

The Radiothon will be simulcast on Q98, the Rock and CJNB until 6 p.m. this evening.

roger.white@cjnb.ca

On Twitter: battlefordsNOW