Joe and Ashley’s gift of health

Joe Curry describes his family’s decision to donate a life insurance policy in support of PRHC:

“I often think of Peterborough Regional Health Centre as the beating heart of our community. We’re so fortunate to have such a world-class regional hospital here in Peterborough.

When my wife Ashley and I think about the future, and the legacy we want to leave behind, PRHC is always top of mind. After all, Ashley’s a labour and delivery nurse at PRHC – which happens to be where both our boys were born.

The hospital is a constant, comforting fixture – both in our family and in this community. That’s why, when Ashley and I started thinking about our estate plans, we knew we wanted to include PRHC. As a ­financial planner and advisor, I knew there were plenty of ways to do this.

We settled on a life insurance policy, then immediately donated it to the PRHC Foundation. When Ashley and I are no longer here, the bene­fit will be paid to the Foundation. We still pay the premiums every year, but because the Foundation owns the policy, we receive a charitable donation receipt.

For my family, we can’t think of a better gift than the gift of health. That’s why we’ve chosen PRHC, so the people we love – and the people they love – will be able to get the best healthcare possible when they need it most.”

For more information on legacy or planned giving, or to share your donor story, please call 705-876-5000.

Heart of Healthcare – Episode 5: reImagining the future of mental health care at PRHC

More people are seeking mental health care than ever before, with waitlists at Peterborough Regional Health Centre growing. To meet that increasing need and support the higher standard of care expected today in mental health spaces built more than 16 years ago, it’s crucial to make changes now so patients receive the best care possible.

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Better care for breast cancer patients

In 2024, PRHC introduced exciting, new donor-funded technology for breast cancer patients called breast seed localization. As PRHC general surgeon Dr. Brie Banks explained at the Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival donation presentation in June, the technology is already making an impact on care. 

Essentially, breast seed localization is a tiny radioactive seed, about the size of a grain of rice, placed directly at the site of a patient’s tumour. It helps surgeons locate the tumour more precisely during surgery. 

This process is a big improvement from older methods, which were less comfortable, more invasive and stressful for patients. And the best part? Because of this donor-funded advancement, PRHC can perform more breast cancer surgeries every day. That means more patients are getting the care they need, faster.

“Having breast seed at PRHC has dramatically increased access to state-of-the-art surgery for breast cancer patients. Not only are we able to look after more patients in the day, but the process is much less difficult for them. Seed localization is more comfortable and convenient,” says Dr. Banks. “I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to all the donors who made this advancement possible.”

Record-breaking donation from Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival

On October 9th, the PRHC Foundation proudly hosted this year’s Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival gift announcement. Together, the Festival’s host team, Survivors Abreast, the Dragon Boat Festival Planning Committee, Platinum Sponsor Kawartha Credit Union, paddlers, volunteers, and supporters, presented the Foundation with a record-breaking donation of $312,025.18 – the largest single gift in the Festival’s history!

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