The largest fundraiser for Newfoundland and Labrador’s children’s hospital is all set for this weekend with riveting stories, information, entertainment, and pledges from people and businesses.

Last year, the Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation helped the hospital purchase an echocardiogram, a non-invasive painless ultrasound that uses sound waves to create moving images of the heart’s functions. This year, the hospital hopes to raise about $3-million to go toward the purchase of several pieces of equipment.

Rebecca Dutton, CEO of the foundation, notes that they do not do open heart surgery at the Janeway, so it’s important that the IWK in Halifax and Sick Kids in Toronto have the same information that they would have gotten had the child been diagnosed there.

She says we will hear many stories about what goes on at the Janeway, including one about a single mom who was at Sick Kids with her young child when another child, a teenager, back in central Newfoundland was involved in an ATV accident.

“I have a teenage boy myself so this one really hit close to home. She was up there and couldn’t be here, and they were very concerned about the child’s ability to talk,” says Dutton.

“This is when you realize how important the staff at the Janeway are, and that things can change in a second.”

The Miracle Network Telethon airs from 5:30-9:30 Saturday night and noon to 7:00 Sunday.

There will be many guest hosts including VOCM’s Greg Smith.