The Power of Giving—Where It’s Needed Most

A Great Big First for the IWK

Molly, an IWK patient, was the first patient to benefit from the latest generation of the
O-Arm technology.

For the first time, the IWK is home to an O-Arm, an advanced imaging system that is helping transform surgical care. Funds raised through the 2025 Kent Great Big Dig for the IWK helped make this purchase possible.

“An O-Arm allows surgeons to more efficiently place screws during spinal surgery with the utmost precision using a 3D image,” says Dr. Kevin Morash, IWK orthopedic surgeon. “It allows us to offer our patients care using the latest cutting-edge surgical imaging technology, ensuring the highest standard of patient safety.”

In April 2026, the IWK became the first hospital in Canada to perform surgery using the latest generation of O-Arm technology, combining advanced 3D imaging with lower radiation exposure. The first patient to benefit was 15-year-old Molly, a competitive dancer from New Brunswick. Diagnosed with scoliosis, a side-to-side curve of the spine, Molly had been living with increasing back pain and muscle fatigue before undergoing an eight-hour operation to correct the curvature of her spine.

The O-Arm, an advanced imaging system that is helping
transform surgical care at the IWK.

With the O-Arm, spine surgeries like Molly’s can be performed with greater precision, reducing the risk of complications and improving the patient experience.

The O-Arm wraps around the operating table and provides real-time images of a patient’s anatomy. Primarily used in spine, orthopedic, and trauma-related surgeries, it allows surgeons to visualize the surgical site using 3D imaging and make adjustments during the procedure.

Today, Molly is recovering very well from her successful surgery and is looking forward to getting back on the dance floor.

A Global Collaboration

*Group photo of participants from the Ghana workshop*

Multidisciplinary teams from IWK Health and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital gathered recently in Ghana for an intensive, two-day knowledge exchange and technical training workshop on improving care for Ghanaian families experiencing pregnancy or newborn loss.

The teams explored culturally responsive grief support, trauma-informed care, early pregnancy loss support, developing locally appropriate patient resources, and more. A ‘train-the-trainer’ approach was employed to help build local capacity and ensure sustainability.

Making Big Waves with Brain Data

Dr. Dax Bourcier is just a year into his IWK Foundation Fellowship in Pediatric Neurology, but his research is already making big waves. In fact, he will soon present his work at one of the largest child neurology conferences in the world.

“We’re working to ensure children are seen at the right time by the IWK pediatric neurology team, which could lead to better outcomes for children with epilepsy in the Maritimes and beyond,” explains Dr. Bourcier, who is using data to create a more consistent process for pediatric seizure referrals that come into the IWK from across the region.

Dr. Bourcier says he always wanted to study pediatrics, but that he developed a keen interest in neurology during medical school. Now he’s able to combine both passions as a pediatric neurology resident through support from the IWK Foundation Fellowship.

“There are very few pediatric neurologists in the Maritimes, and there’s a big need,” he notes. That led to me doing sub-specialty training in pediatric neurology at the IWK and Dalhousie University.”