Wendy Sandwith
Wendy and Terran Sandwith didn't plan on becoming such generous donors to the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, but they also didn't plan on what happened to them over the Christmas season of 2006.
Their daughter Chloe arrived at the Royal Alexandra six weeks early on December 22. She weighed a respectable four pounds, thirteen ounces and was perfectly healthy.
They were astonished when it was Wendy who needed the critical care.
"The birth was absolutely perfect and everything was great," said Terran. "We were holding our little girl and enjoying the moment. The next minute, Wendy was whisked away for emergency surgery. The situation went sideways really quick." The placenta would not deliver and Wendy began to hemorrhage.
Reflecting back on that evening in December, Wendy says she often thinks about how outstanding the team was, and the circumstances under which they were working.
"It was terrifying," says Wendy. "But the staff at the Royal Alexandra was absolutely amazing. It was the Christmas season and the hospital was short-staffed. I'm sure at the end of their shifts they had a million different things they could rush home to do, but instead they stayed late to make sure I was okay."
Several months later, once Wendy had fully recovered and her new family was safe at home, she and Terran made an online gift as a way to express their heartfelt thanks to the exceptional care they had received from the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Their $10,000 donation is to date the largest online donation the Foundation has received.
Terran said the donation to the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation was the one way the couple knew they could express their thanks tangibly and help others in the process. "We are so fortunate to have such outstanding care. We couldn't have been in better hands and we just want to ensure that others will have that as well."
Wendy, host of CityTV's Breakfast Television, adds that $10,000 doesn't even begin to cover how grateful the couple is to the Royal Alexandra team. "I wish it could have been more. But if this donation can, in some way, help the staff continue to help others, it's totally worth it."