HONOLULU - Riley Araki-Regan's family's gratitude for the work done at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children has been expressed with the donation of $7,000 to buy two syringe pumps.
The hospital benefits, and so will Neighbor Island patients because the equipment will provide infants and young children with medication in controlled doses while they are being medivaced to Oahu.
To observe the hospital's centennial, an hourlong show "100 Years. Over 1 Million Lives" will be televised at 7 p.m. Wednesday on KGMB, KITV, KHNL and KFVE, and at 9 p.m. on KHON.
In June 2005, Riley's mother, Lynn Araki-Regan, was 29 weeks into pregnancy when she began bleeding and had to be medivaced to Kapi'olani. Riley was born there and cared for in the newborn intensive care unit for a month. He is now a healthy, active student at Wailuku Hongwanji Preschool.
"Most people don't realize that Kapi'olani Medical Center is here to service all islands, not just Oahu," Lynn Araki-Regan said. "Maui's children who need specialty care, treatment for cancer or who are born premature like Riley are cared for at Kapi'olani. Without their services, I'm not sure what we would have done."
To mark Kapi'olani Medical Center's centennial this month, Araki-Regan, husband Keith, son Riley and parents Fred and Ann Araki donated the $7,000.
"As Hawaii's only full-service, pediatric-specialty hospital, we provide services to all islands," said Kim Gennaula, director of development, Kapi'olani Health Foundation. "In 2008 alone, our transport team conducted 549 Neighbor Island transports, 92 of which came from Maui.
"For each transport we complete, the hospital writes off approximately $1,000, and for those children with no insurance, our write-off is much greater. But we never turn any child away," she said. "We have been providing neonatal and pediatric care for keiki for a hundred years, and to this day rely on generous people like the Araki and Regan families to do so."
Araki-Regan also is a volunteer board member of the Kapi'olani Health Foundation.
"There are so many families on Maui, as well as other Neighbor Islands, who have benefited from the specialized care provided by Kapi'olani Medical Center," continued Lynn Araki-Regan. "For us, it was important to give back to the hospital in a way that would support their pediatric transport program and help spread the word about the services they provide beyond Oahu."
In recognition of the donation, each pump will bear the family name.
Earlier this month, Kapi'olani Medical Center kicked off its monthlong centennial celebration. The centennial Kapi'olani Story Project seeks patient stories for its historical archives. Families who have been touched by Kapi'olani and its predecessor, Kauikeolani Children's Hospital, are invited to contribute at www.KapiolaniStoryProject.org. Participants will be eligible to win 200,000 Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints from Starwood Hawaii.
Those interested in making equipment or other donations to the Neighbor Island transport program can call the foundation at (808) 535-7100 or go to www.kapiolanigift.org.
Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children is a pediatric specialty and high-risk-maternity facility with 207 beds and 90 bassinets. Teaching and research are part of its mission.
The facility is an affiliate of Hawaii Pacific Health.
