“It’s in the Cards” for Cancer Care

Photo of Tracey smiling

This is Tracey. She was diagnosed with breast cancer on February 8, 2021. She had a mastectomy in March and underwent 20 rounds of radiation at Peterborough Regional Health Centre last summer. 

Tracey shared with us how incredibly grateful she was to receive radiation close to home. For her, this meant that she could still row all summer, an activity she says “is one of the things that keeps me from being a horrible, grump of a human”.

She is also thankful for the staff who work in the radiation department at PRHC. She says they made her feel strong and supported.

To say thank you for the care she received, Tracey has created a fundraiser with the goal of raising $5,000 in support of Cancer Care at PRHC! She is selling cards, beautifully designed by her husband, with a blank inside you can personalize. 

Illustration of a single leaf on a tree branch

The image on the card was inspired by this experience Tracey had:

“I do yoga every morning, and during my recovery it was particularly important both physically and mentally. Right after my surgery I noticed a single leaf clinging with all its might to a branch on the tree in my back yard. It was the only leaf on the whole tree, and it held on tight throughout the harsh winds and cold storms of the winter. I came to see that little leaf as my guide, as something to remind me of my own inner strength, as something to help me keep holding on. It was only with the warmth of the spring sun and the blooming of the buds that my little leaf disappeared, and by then I knew I could survive whatever was thrown at me. It got me through the hardest of times. It gave me strength.”

A pack of six cards is $25 and can be purchased through Tracey’s personal PRHC Foundation fundraising page. Tracey and her family are covering all the costs for printing and postage – please see her page for shipping details.

Thank you so much, Tracey and family! We’re so grateful for your support of your regional hospital!

Requesting a consolidated or duplicate 2021 charitable donation receipt

Blue heart icon with hospital icon inside

To support our donors in preparing their taxes in good time, the PRHC Foundation is now preparing consolidated charitable donation receipts for 2021, and will have these in the mail no later than February 28, 2022. Please allow 10 days for Canada Post delivery; however, if you’re expecting a consolidated receipt and haven’t received it by March 12, please give us a call at 705-876-5000 or send us an email.

If you were previously issued a charitable donation receipt for 2021 and are requesting a duplicate, please provide us with your full name, mailing address, and the amount of the donation made to the PRHC Foundation in 2021. We’ll reissue your receipt and get it in the mail to you within 10 business days.

Enzo is back with birdhouses in support of PRHC Foundation

A man stands behind a table of birdhouses holding two birdhouses in the air

In these freezing temperatures, it’s hard to imagine the spring sound of birds tweeting, but the warm weather will be here in no time and Enzo Curcio is offering the perfect way to welcome the return of the birds: Beautiful handmade birdhouses! 

Enzo was inspired to support the PRHC Foundation as a way to say thanks to Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s doctors, nurses and staff for the care his wife, Susan, received during a hospital stay. Last spring he raised $1,875 for PRHC Foundation through the sale of his creative cork birdhouses. And he’s been busy making more to fundraise again in support of the equipment and technology PRHC’s healthcare professionals use to provide that excellent care!

Enzo’s cork creations are available for pick-up and cash only purchase. Different sizes are available, with prices starting at $30. For more details or to place an order, please email the Curcios. All proceeds will be donated to the PRHC Foundation.

Thank you, Enzo and Susan, for your continued commitment to your regional hospital! And thanks to Clifford Skarstedt/Peterborough Examiner for this great photo of Enzo with his beautiful birdhouses!

Thank you from PRHC’s President & CEO, Dr. Peter McLaughlin

PRHC President & CEO, Dr. Peter McLaughlin

“At a time when there’s been a lot of uncertainty and ‘what ifs’, I’m even more thankful for the support of our donors. Your generosity helps PRHC maintain the highest level of patient care while we plan for the future. Your hospital has been there for people in our community throughout the pandemic. I have no doubt we’ll come out the other side of it, stronger than ever, because of you. Together, we’ll move beyond the ‘what ifs’ into a brand new era of healthcare, right here at PRHC. Thank you for your continued support and I wish you the best in the New Year.”

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday!

Because of your wonderful generosity, PRHC Foundation is able to fund the advanced equipment PRHC’s doctors, nurses and staff need to provide world-class care close to home for patients from all across our region. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We wish you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday season and New Year!

Historic $5 million donation to Cardiac Care

Dr. Warren Ball, Lesley Heighway, Jim Neill and Dr. Peter McLaughlin

PRHC has been supported by a tradition of philanthropy since its beginning. Now, a generous community member has stepped forward to honour that tradition and inspire others by making the largest donation in PRHC Foundation history: A $5 million commitment to PRHC’s Cardiac Centre of Excellence from donor Jim Neill.

Mr. Neill’s gift will have a transformational impact on patient care now and in the future, explains Dr. Warren Ball, PRHC Interventional Cardiologist & Head of Division, Cardiology. “This gift will help keep our hearts here today by investing in significantly improved technology,” he says, “and when you add state-of-the-art technology to our exceptional patient care, his investment will empower us to pursue our vision for tomorrow.”

Dr. Ball continues, “While the planning for this exciting opportunity is in the early stages, we’re committed to ensuring our patients have access to the finest, most comprehensive cardiac care available, right here at PRHC.”

Lesley Heighway, PRHC Foundation President & CEO, agrees. “As Dr. Ball said, our hospital has exciting plans for the future of cardiac care. It will take the collective support of donors to stoke the flames of innovation,” says Lesley, “but it takes the support of a visionary leader to ignite the spark. Mr. Neill’s incredible $5 million investment in cardiac care will do just that. We’re so grateful for his gift.”

For a time, Mr. Neill was based in Toronto where he lived minutes from multiple hospitals. He realized the significance of having a world-class Health Centre to serve a regional population when he moved back to the Peterborough area.

“I really appreciated how different it is here,” he says, “but you need the same care. I wanted to be part of that process of providing very timely cardiac care close to home. And they’ve got such great plans for the future, I thought I could make a contribution and be part of that.”

Inspiring others to join him in contributing to the healthcare of the region – no matter the size of the donation – is also a major consideration for Mr. Neill. “I hope that my donation will encourage and inspire others, as donors who have come before have inspired me,” he says.

Learn more about how to make an impact on Cardiac Care at PRHC.