Over $20,000 Raised from St. John’s Episcopal Hospital #GivingTuesday Campaign Benefitting Newborn Babies

Far Rockaway, New York, March 30, 2021 — Over $20,000 Raised from St. John’s Episcopal Hospital #GivingTuesday Campaign Benefitting Newborn Babies.

St. John’s Episcopal Hospital met its 2020 #GivingTuesday goal to raise $20,000 to fund the purchase of four GE Healthcare BiliSoft Phototherapy Systems. The systems treat hyperbilirubinemia, or jaundice, in infants, and are earmarked for the hospital’s Maternal Child Health Unit.

Raising the funds during the pandemic was a tall task, but the crowdfunding efforts of a nine-person team of ambassadors and a $5,000 grant from the South Shore Community Chest in Cedarhurst brought them over the goal line.

One of the hospital’s 2020 fundraising ambassadors, Joe Caraccia, Senior Executive VP at Jzanus Consulting, worked with Jzanus employees, friends, and others in the community to help fund this much-needed therapy. Jzanus had also donated 50 baby monitors to the hospital in 2019 and 2020, and Caraccia heeded the call for ambassadors to make the goal a reality.

“It’s really a natural fit, from the baby monitors to enhance the services that they could provide with the BiliSoft light therapy,” said Caraccia. “In this underserved area, sometime mothers don’t get all the prenatal care that they need and the result of that could be underweight babies or babies with jaundice.”

Caraccia credits the fundraiser’s success to all of those in the community who came together for the hospital. “I had a lot of good people behind me, we had an outpouring of friendship, love and community. People gave what they can and together we met the goal.”

For Ambassador Chika Nwalor, #GivingTuesday 2020 was all about helping the hospital’s youngest patients.

“A newborn is the single most important human being to show his/herself to mankind.” Said Nwalor. “The light of a mother’s world, yet the hopes and dreams of our next generation.”

Combined, the nine ambassadors’ crowdfunding efforts brought in over 200 gifts towards the campaign.

St. John’s #GivingTuesday Crowdfunding Ambassadors for 2020 included:

• Chika Nwalor, Mother Baby Nurse
• Joe Caraccia, Jzanus Consulting
• Sheryl Edwards, Member ECW Diocesan Board and Auxiliary
• Aurel Apple, Medical Student, NYIT-College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Sharon Tucker, Former President, Queens ECW
• Felecia Vaughn, Community Support Coordinator at St. John’s Episcopal Pediatric Clinic
• Ashvini Persaud, Sr. Business Banking Relationship Manager at M&T Bank
• Samantha Lordi, Member of the Oyster Bay Episcopal Church & Real Estate Agent at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s Intl. Realty
• Maria Amador, Accounts Receivables Representative at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital

“At SJEH, we strive to enhance our patient experience and to be equal care partners. The BiliSofts will provide our parents with peace of mind by supporting their newborn during the phototherapy treatment at the bedside. Parents are able to engage in the infant’s care to support a speedy transition while bonding with their newborns. The Maternity team and our patients are grateful for this donation and for the community’s continued support,” said Denise Potts, MSN-ED, RNC Director, Maternal Child Health/Med- Surge at SJEH.

Jaundice is a threat to the well-being of 60% of full term infants and 80% of preterm infants. GE’s Bilisoft phototherapy systems uses blue light as an effective treatment of jaundice. These systems are especially useful in the hospital setting as they are easy to move, can be used with a radiant warmer, incubator, bassinet, crib or while in caregiver’s arms. They provide healthy therapy while encouraging infant-parent bonding.