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MAY 14-16
Volume 14 Number 19 | 50¢
May 14, 2015
downtownkamloops.com
Every time a chime rings Every single human on earth is born, and across all medical professionals,” admitted registered nurse Dara cultures, religions and countries, being born into Johnson. On the other hand Dara goes on to exthis world is celebrated. It is one of the happlain that the birth chimes are very powerful, piest moments in our life and we share universal and they are here to celebrate this moment with friends, family and birth. “It’s a reminder for everyone in social media. But something new the hospital and it connects us all.” has given us the idea that sharing On average RIH records 1,200 the moment when we are born births a year and on February can reach far more people in a 20 of this year, the chimes new a beautiful way. A simple were first pressed by Amy chime, a soft sound, a pleasand Corey Kamp for baby ant reminder that someone Talia, alerting the hospital has just had a baby, has of a great joy. made its way to the Royal Although I didn’t hear Inland Hospital (RIH) in the chimes when I visited Kamloops. the hospital, I did speak Every time a baby is with several employees born, whether they are and they all had the same born by natural birth, cepleasure and happiness sarean section or home that it brought to the room births, a button is pressed when the chimes would go on the wall in the materoff. Some even said that nity ward, sending out when two chimes went off the sound of a gentle wind in a row, it meant twins and chime across the hospitals the room would light up. speaker system. Suddenly the Some of the patients who are staff and guests at the hospital suffering pain or extended hosawaken with a new sense of joy pital stays, have even had their and the announcement of a new spirits lifted with the sound, going The first Kamloops couple to ring in the baby who has just entered the world from a state of discomfort to a convernew birth chimes at Royal Inland Hospital, has been translated through the sound of sation about their own experience with Amy and Corey Kamp with baby Talia. a quiet chime. children and birth. The idea came from Michaela Swan and her sisThe sound can only be heard inside the hospiter Dara Johnson while studying at Gonzaga University. tal but there have been discussions about announcing They heard the birth chimes while they were attending the Sacred the chimes outside for the general public to experience. Listen Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington. The sisters brought the closely the next time you hear the sound of wind chimes anywhere idea back to Kamloops, and after months of planning and rewiring they in the neighborhood, because there is always someone being born implemented the birth chimes into the maternity ward at the hospital. somewhere in this great world of ours! I think it may just be the best “The hospital’s PA system can be a stressful part of anyone’s day, an- representation of new life now. nouncing emergencies, violence, loud beeps and constant paging for Corey Rajala, freelance
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