‘Humans of KGH’: Local photographer and KGH Foundation team up for ‘We See You’ campaign

Over two days earlier this month, local photographer Darren Hull took his camera into Kelowna General Hospital for one purpose only.

He was on a mission to capture the faces of those behind the masks, the frontline staff working during one of the most challenging medical crises of our time.

The resulting portraits, biographies and stories are being dubbed ‘Humans of KGH’ and have been turned into a fundraising effort called the ‘We See You’ campaign.

It’s a way for the general public to recognize the unseen, unsung heroes of KGH and demonstrate gratitude for local health care.

“The gratitude shown by the community for our frontline staff here at Kelowna General has been nothing short of overwhelming,” says Jaymi Chernoff executive director of clinical operations at KGH.

“I’m so proud of our staff for stepping up the way they have during this crisis. Our teams continue to treat people with cardiac disease, cancer, stroke and everything else the hospital deals with on a daily basis.”

KGH, of course, is an acute care hospital, which means the doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are still counted on to treat disease, injury and other medical emergencies during a global pandemic.

KGH Foundation CEO, Doug Rankmore says that there’s been over $2 million in requests for funding since the beginning of the pandemic, which is part of the reason for this fundraising initiative.

“This includes needs for very specialized equipment to increase the capacity for lab testing; equipment to support patients who are experiencing multiple organ failure; and funding to support clinical research trials to treat the virus and speed its detection,” he explained.

“These are not needs that we could have anticipated. Which is why we are appealing to the public to support the hospital’s greatest needs right now, as they emerge.”

The fundraising campaign will go until June 18, which is KGH’s annual Day of Giving, and all donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $100,000.

To view the Humans of KGH portraits and to support healthcare right here in Kelowna with a donation, click this link.