Giving the gift of education to new parents
Ryan Tones’ career has taken him across Western Canada working and living in communities like Fort St. John, Castelgar, Calgary and Edmonton. As a Senior Vice President with Kiewit, he found his way back to the Lower Mainland where he was born, raised and educated, and now resides with his wife, Emma, and their two growing boys.
“Our first home together was in Burnaby; a townhouse in City in the Park on Burnaby’s south slopes,” reflects Ryan.
When expecting their first child, Emma became a patient of the highly esteemed Dr. Shelley Ross, who introduced them to Burnaby Hospital. Their first child, Ronan, was born there in 2009 and shortly thereafter in 2011, their second child, Ewan. Emma & Ryan recall with affection and gratitude the helpful staff who provided practical guidance, information and tips that helped ease the transition into new parenthood.
“The staff at Burnaby hospital were great to work with and we are eternally grateful for the educational help we received, which ranged from breastfeeding tips to sleep tricks,” says Emma.
“Some worked better than others,” Ryan notes wryly, as all new parents can relate.
It is ten years since Ewan was born at the aging Burnaby Hospital. Finally, it is finally being redeveloped, including a total transformation of the Maternity Department. Once complete, all the hospital’s maternity and newborn services will be brought together in one place enabling streamlined and improved care for the new arrivals and their families.
As Emma and Ryan’s boys grow into young men, they view the redevelopment as an opportunity to give back to the community hospital so instrumental in getting their family started. Perhaps as a nod to those helpful tips and tricks received from staff, they are making a substantial gift to name Burnaby Hospital’s new Maternity Education Room.
“We’re both happy and proud to support the new hospital, specifically the education portion of the maternity ward,” says Ryan.
Nodding in agreement, Emma expands, “We hope more families can have great memories of their experience at Burnaby Hospital.”
“Ryan and Emma are the kind of champions that make our community, and our community hospital, a very special place to be,” remarks Burnaby Hospital Foundation CEO, Kristy James. “We are so grateful to have their incredible support, as we are of all the families whose journeys begin at Burnaby Hospital, and who give back in whatever way they can. I want to offer my most sincere thanks to the Tones family, and of course, to our wonderful maternity staff, whose care, expertise, and passion inspired such a generous gift.”
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