Outpouring of generosity is helping Bayhealth patients sleep better

A CPAP machine works by keeping airways open, making it easier to breathe. That’s why so many people with sleep apnea rely on one of these devices every day.

But due to an ongoing nationwide shortage of new CPAP equipment, it’s taking several months for some sufferers to get the CPAP machines they need.

To help bridge this gap, Bayhealth’s respiratory therapy navigators began collecting donations of gently used, clean, working CPAP and BIPAP machines. So far, they’ve received more than a dozen donated CPAP machines for their patients.

Thompsonville resident William Ratlief is one of the people who benefited from these generous donations. “It was really nice that I was able to get the brand-new machine that someone had donated,” said Ratlief, who found out he had sleep apnea while he was being treated for another condition at Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus. “That was a life-changer for me. I use it every night, and I’ve got more energy.”

Bayhealth’s respiratory therapy navigators are still accepting gently used, clean, working CPAP and BIPAP machines, along with unopened supplies, tubing and masks. They’re also working with Bayhealth’s infection-control team to thoroughly sanitize the donated machines before they’re given to patients.

To help patients in need and donate any CPAP/BIPAP equipment that’s in good working order, call Bayhealth Respiratory Therapy Navigator Elizabeth Hurley, RRT, AE-C, at 302-430-5902.