Gift funds new neonatal beds at Children's Hospital

A $5-million donation from a Calgary family is helping to fund a major expansion of neonatal intensive care unit beds at the Alberta Childrens Hospital.

As many as 14 new NICU beds will be added to an undeveloped space on the fourth floor by next year, said Premier Alison Redford, who announced the project on Wednesday.

"While these new beds will improve care, reduce transfers and provide better access to specialists, the most important need they fulfill is allowing Alberta families to remain closer together during these critical times in a newborns life," she said.

Heather and N. Murray Edwardsmadethe donationthrough the Alberta Childrens Hospital Foundation for the project, which is pegged to cost $8.5-million in total.

The new beds will increase Level 3 NICU capacitydesigned to care for the sickest and most critically ill newborns by 56 per cent, the province said.

The new unit will be named the Edwards Family NICU.