Closeup of a premature baby grasping someone’s pinkie finger

Giving back

Pinkies for preemies: A small gesture to help save tiny lives

Jan 29, 2019

Giving a helping hand to premature babies and their families

Each and every one of us can identify with the emotion and joy you feel when a baby grasps your pinkie finger with its tiny hand. In 2014, in the lead up to Mother’s Day, we invited British Columbians to join us and celebrate these special connections in support of the BC Women’s Hospital New Born Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

"The incredible technology being used at BC Women’s enables the NICU to make a difference for parents and babies facing a terrifying situation, just as they did for my family."

- Dee Brown, a member of the TELUS team

We encouraged people to share a photo of their pinkie linked with a loved one’s on social media using the hashtag #pinkiesforpreemies. For every image posted, we gave $10 to BC Women’s in support of the Newborn ICU, resulting in a $100,000 donation.

We believe that by working with Canada’s provincial and regional healthcare providers to provide cutting edge technology and equipment, we can truly make a difference in our communities and the lives of all Canadians. That’s why we’ve pledged $600,000 over five years to help upgrade lifesaving technology and equipment in the NICU at BC Women’s Hospital.