Friends of Jack Donates New Pediatric Equipment to St. Luke’s

Thanks to the generosity of one local organization, healthcare on the SouthCoast is getting even better.

A recent donation from the Friends of Jack Foundation allowed Southcoast Health to obtain two brand-new pieces of equipment for its pediatric patients.

The pediatric unit at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford is now the new home for an electroencephalography (EEG) camera and a nitrous oxide machine.

"We are best known for our Hero Bear program and providing funding for Child Life Specialists in our area, but thanks to our donors, we also provide close to $100,000 in grants each year for pediatric healthcare needs like these devices," said Jill Fearons, President of the Friends of Jack Foundation.

New Equipment at St. Luke's Hospital

“We are so grateful to the Friends of Jack Foundation for enabling us to acquire these essential technologies,” said Brian Sard, MD, Medical Director of Pediatric Services at Southcoast Health.

What Does the New Equipment Do?

"With the new pediatric EEG camera, Southcoast Health is now the only system in the region to offer video-assisted diagnosis and monitoring of epilepsy and other brain disorders," Dr. Sard said. "The nitrous oxide machine will reduce discomfort for children during painful procedures such as IV starts, abscess drainage and laceration repair.”

Fearons knows the importance of having great care nearby. Her son, Jack, was cared for by the team at St. Luke's years ago.

"This equipment is going to make a significant impact on the quality of care and the overall experience of children receiving treatment at St. Luke's Hospital," she said. "There are already amazing pediatric providers on site at St. Luke's because of its partnership with Boston Children's Hospital and so these machines are simply new tools that allow them to have more options when treating kids in our community."

Friends of Jack Foundation Casino Night

Check out these scenes from a Friends of Jack benefit earlier in 2022.

Gallery Credit: Gazelle

28 Days of Healthy Heart Activities

February is the month of love, and Healthy Heart Month. I put together a list of activities that we can all do to improve our heart health and decrease stress. Share with friends, and family.

Gallery Credit: Credit: Canva

'Make America Healthy Again' White House Fact Sheet

As of February 2025, The Trump Administration has ordered the Federal Government to aggressively combat the critical health challenges facing U.S. citizens, including the rising rates of mental health disorders, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

💗🤍💙

"American life expectancy significantly lags behind other developed countries, with pre‑COVID-19 United States life expectancy averaging 78.8 years and comparable countries averaging 82.6 years."

"This equates to 1.25 billion fewer life years for the United States population. Six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease, and four in 10 have two or more chronic diseases."

" An estimated one in five United States adults lives with a mental illness" noted the Administration in a White House press release.

Gallery Credit: Kolby Fedore, TSM