How Your Donations Help

It's up to you how we use your money. Undesignated donations or bequests will go to the area of greatest need. But, if you wish, you can designate your donations to the following;

Equipment: Saving Lives Across British Columbia

Thousands of British Columbians, young and old, struggle to breath each and every day. Thanks to your generous donations to TB Vets, many BC hospitals now have vital respiratory equipment on hand whenever it is needed. Equipment provided by TB Vets is used to test, monitor and assist the 
breathing of patients with respiratory difficulties. Learn more about TB Vets medical facility grants and apply.

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Education: Growing BC's Next Generation of Respiratory Therapists

Thousands of British Columbians struggle to breathe each day. Chances are, a Respiratory Therapist will play a vital role in their healthcare. Accident victims, premature babies, heart attack and stroke patients, or people who live with asthma and emphysema, all rely on Respiratory Therapists. These healthcare professionals assist physicians with the diagnosis and treatment of lung disorders.

TB Vets funds bursaries and provides up-to-date equipment to help educate BC's next generation of Respiratory Therapists at Thompson Rivers University through TRU's Respiratory Therapy Program.

Research: Funding Doctors and Research to Find a Cure

TB Vets funds doctors from UBC and VCH and has supported the Centre for Disease Control for many years. Because every year, over two million people die of tuberculosis (TB). These people are young and old, rich and poor, men and women. A resurgence of TB in the past decade means that in Canada alone, over 2,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. And there is still no cure. (Statistics from World Health Organization, 2011).

TB Research in BC
"At today's rate of infection, over half of the world's population will be infected with tuberculosis within the next 20 years." - World Health Organization (2001)

Globally, TB incidence has increased tremendously since the mid-1980s. This re-emergence in recent years led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the disease a "global emergency" in 1993. In Canada, the change in trends prompted an intensive re-evaluation of the tuberculosis situation. 
In 2007, the WHO announced that the epidemic had leveled off after having peaked in 2004, and held steady through 2005. The most populous provinces - British Columbia, Ontario and Québec - represent 76% of the population, and account for 73% of the total of reported cases.  http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241564380_eng.pdf

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Employment: Helping to Support & Feed Families

TB Vets didn't start out as a charity. It was founded so that veterans could work, support and feed their families. It offered our wounded veterans employment with dignity. Because when our founding veterans returned from WWII with tuberculosis and other chest ailments, they had a hard time gaining employment. Back in 1946, employers wouldn't hire people with disabilities – tuberculosis and chest ailments were considered disabilities. Now, 65 years later, TB Vets still proudly employ British 
Columbians with disabilities.

Grant Application for Hospitals

All hospitals, care homes and related institutions across British Columbia are invited to apply for a grant to purchase respiratory equipment: 2012 Grant Application Online Form, 2012 Grant Application Information Package. For information regarding 2010 grants, please see the Press release issued on August 23, 2010: TB Vets looks to past donors for renewed support in 2011 to replenish needed grant funds.

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