This time, Lesley Heighway, PRHC Foundation President & CEO and usual host of Heart of Healthcare, sits down in the hot seat. Local media personality and Foundation donor, Mike Melnik, asks her the questions – they discuss the impact of the $60 million campaign, how funds will be invested, and she addresses a common concern: Facing system-wide healthcare challenges, how can we make sure our patients don’t get left behind?
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Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation has embarked on a transformative journey with the official launch of its $60 million Campaign for PRHC, marking the largest fundraising effort in both the hospital’s and the PRHC Foundation’s history.
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“I was worried. I have two young daughters; how could I not be scared for how this could alter their lives? My youngest is 5, would she even remember me?”
Meet Diana Freeman, a devoted mom, loving wife, and dedicated professional. At just 38, her world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in March.
Diana shares, “Surviving cancer is not just clearing your body of the disease; it is healing the body while battling the fears and emotions that come with it. And to survive, it starts with having hope. For many, including myself, the seed of hope is first planted at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.”
Inspired by the desire to give back for the expert, compassionate care she is receiving, Diana has launched a fundraiser in support of cancer care at PRHC. She is sharing her journey through breast cancer treatment on her social media channels and personal fundraising page, to inspire others, raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of self-assessments, and to highlight the significance of expert, compassionate cancer care close to home.
As of May 2024, just two months after her diagnosis, Diana has already raised almost $5,000 for cancer care at PRHC. The funds raised will help the Health Centre invest in new state-of-the-art equipment and technology, support earlier cancer diagnosis, and provide safer, more effective treatments for more patients.
By supporting Diana’s fundraiser, you can help PRHC continue to provide the highest quality of cancer care, close to home.
Follow Diana’s brave journey and support her mission by clicking here to stay updated and make a donation.
In the moments immediately following surgery, many breast cancer patients ask one important question: “Did you get it all?”
Dr. Brie Banks, a general surgeon at PRHC, knows how much this question means to them. It’s not just about the surgery.
“When patients ask, ‘Did you get it all?’ they’re really asking if they have permission to hope,” says Dr. Banks. “They want to know if the surgery went well and if they’re on the road to recovery.”
Breast cancer affects 12,500 women every year in Ontario, and those numbers continue to rise. Nearly all of those women will need surgery as part of their treatment—a lumpectomy being one of them.
Waiting for cancer surgery can be unbearable. Time crawls.
Patients have many worries: Is the cancer spreading? Will the surgery work? What will I look like after?
When patients arrive hours early at PRHC on the morning of their surgery, currently the first thing on the to-do list is having an eight-inch wire inserted into the breast by a radiologist, to mark the tumour.
Then, the patient waits, sitting for hours in a hospital gown with the wire protruding. It’s uncomfortable and frightening.
If the wire shifts, it complicates the surgery, making it difficult to remove all of the tumour without taking too much healthy tissue. It’s a process that adds anxiety and risk to an already difficult day.
There is a technology that can improve this aspect of breast cancer patient care and transform the experience for thousands of breast cancer patients in our region. It can make surgery easier and more precise, and reduce a patient’s worry and wait. It’s called breast seed localization technology and the PRHC Foundation is committed to funding it at PRHC.
With this new technology, a radiologist will place a tiny radioactive seed, as small as a grain of rice, instead of a wire to mark the cancer. This can be done a month before surgery and takes only 15 minutes. After placing the seed, patients can go back to their daily lives.
Then, during surgery, surgeons use a special tool to find and remove the tumour using the seed as a guide. This results in less scarring and physical change to the breast.
Beyond improving patient care, this new wireless technology will allow Dr. Banks and her colleagues to perform more lumpectomies—without the time constraints that come with wire placement on the day of surgery. With breast seed localization, doctors at PRHC can operate on three more breast cancer patients a day. More surgeries will mean more patients get the care they need, sooner.
Dr. Banks says donor support will directly shape the care she can provide, especially since the government doesn’t fund hospital equipment at PRHC. “Your donation will allow more patients to hear those comforting words, ‘We got it all,’ and give them hope.”
She became a donor herself because she’s seen the difference this technology makes in the patient experience during an already challenging time. “It offers a better option for breast cancer surgery. I want this available for my patients.”
You, too, can help shape the future of patient care at your hospital. To donate or for more information, call 705-876-5000 or click here.
In a remarkable gesture of compassion and commitment, local philanthropists Dr. Patricia and David Morton have donated $500,000 to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation and the future of mental health and addictions care at the hospital.
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To all nurses, thank you for being here for us when it matters most! During this National Nursing Week – and every week – we’re grateful for the compassionate care you provide to patients from all across our region.
The expert work you do inspires donations in your honour to the PRHC Foundation to help you care for other patients. They fund state-of-the-art technology, fuel innovation, bring new services to our region, and in turn help the hospital attract more colleagues to join you at PRHC.
Happy National Nursing Week!
To all doctors, thank you for being here for us when it matters most! On this National Physicians’ Day – and every day – we’re grateful for the compassionate care you provide to patients from all across our region.
The expert work you do inspires donations in your honour to the PRHC Foundation to help you care for other patients. They fund state-of-the-art technology, fuel innovation, bring new services to our region, and in turn help the hospital attract more colleagues to join you at PRHC.
Happy National Physicians’ Day!
On May 20, Trent River Stables will be hosting a fun-filled day at the barrel races in support of cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. In addition to barrel racing and polebending, there will also be vendors, a silent auction, and a canteen lunch!
Please note that the races will take place rain or shine. There is no fee for spectators, just bring your lawn chair and be ready to cheer! All ages and skill levels are welcome to compete, and you can pre-register at the email below or enter on the day of the event.
For more information or questions about the event, please contact Trent River Stables by phone at 705-931-4692 or by email.
Tim Hortons Smile Cookie week is taking place from April 29th to May 5th this year (while supplies last)!
The PRHC cafeteria’s Compass Canada Tim Hortons location has been selected as part of a pilot project with bigger Smile Cookies and more chocolate chunks! These new and improved Smile Cookies are $2, and 100% of the proceeds from this location’s Smile Cookie sales will be donated to the PRHC Foundation in support of the equipment and technology used every day at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
Thanks to Compass Canada Manager, Warren, and his team for all the work they do every year to make this fundraiser a success, and thanks to all the PRHC Smile Cookie fans for their support!
The work we do wouldn’t be possible without our wonderful volunteers.
From the PRHC Foundation Board of Directors and Board Committees, to the Allied Professional Advisory Council and Campaign Council, from PRHC’s Gift Shop and office volunteers, to the organizers, participants and supporters of community events, to our Foundation ambassadors and personal fundraisers – we’re so grateful for your time, energy and skills, as well as your donations, in support of PRHC.
Thank you for your generous commitment to the PRHC Foundation, your hospital and your community! Together we’re shaping the future of patient care at PRHC.
