Local farmer donates $1.9 million to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital

The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon received a $1.98-million donation from farmer Gene Pidwerbesky on Thursday.

The donation will support a new, urgently needed equipment program called “Harvest for Kids.”

Pidwerbesky was present at the announcement, but declined to speak to media.

His daughter Jaclyn Baum, speaking on behalf of her entire family, said her dad had an accident on the family’s 10,000-acre farm one year ago that resulted in him spending a lot of time at all three of Saskatoon hospitals.

It was during that time that he became inspired to help, she said.

“He had been through a lot in the last year, and I think when you go through something like that, you think about what you could do to make the world a better place,” she said.

“We really just wanted to start with our children.”

Baum said this donation is the family’s first foray into philanthropy. Her father’s lived a great life, she said, and he understands the reasons for his pain, whereas children may not.

“It feels good to help and to give back,” she said.

Brynn Boback-Lane, CEO of Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, said the money will go towards buying equipment like specialized isolets for babies, breathing apparatus, portable EEGs that can detect and monitor epilepsy in children, lung solution breathing simulators, and other equipment.

“Just like the farmers want their fields to flourish, they want the next generation to flourish as well,” Boback-Lane said.