Donor support helping surgeons see better to do better in PRHC’s operating rooms

With donor support, PRHC will introduce fluorescence-guided imaging technology to the hospital’s general operating suites for the first time. This innovation is part of a replacement and upgrading of outdated surgical tools, allowing PRHC’s general surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures with GPS-like precision – with less risk of complications for patients.

With fluorescence-guided imaging, contrast dyes or agents are injected into the patient’s bloodstream prior to surgery, making anatomical features, organs, nerves or even cancer cells, light up. That highlighting will help doctors use other new, advanced equipment, like ultra-high-definition scopes and monitors, enhanced cameras, and improved light sources, to locate, remove and reconnect tissues. PRHC general surgeon Dr. Joslin Cheverie explains why this is so important for patient care, using a common bowel surgery as an example.

“When a diseased or cancerous portion of colon is removed, the remaining healthy sections are joined back together. It’s critical that the repaired section have healthy blood flow, or the patient is at greater risk of complications,” she says. “With this technology, I’ll be able to make better, more informed decisions during surgery.”

Fluorescence-guided imaging and state-of-the-art surgical tools are an exciting element of a wider, $13 million reinvestment in minimally invasive interventions, which also includes interventional radiology.

Replacing the hospital’s surgical technology now will ensure PRHC’s experts have better visuals to more accurately perform lifesaving and life-changing operations – like colorectal cancer surgery, emergency appendectomies, hernia repairs and gallbladder removals – right here, safely, quickly and with less wait time.

It’s donors who will make this possible, funding advances in minimally invasive technology and techniques that empower physicians like Dr. Cheverie to treat more conditions, efficiently, without big cuts, using less anesthesia, and leaving behind nothing more than a tiny scar. 

For patients, that means less pain, reduced risk of infection, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery. This is important for all patients, but especially those vulnerable to complications, including the more than 60,000 seniors in our region.

For more information on this investment, please call 705-876-5000 or to make a donation, please click here.

How true love inspired Audrey to give back

PRHC Foundation legacy donor and hospital volunteer Audrey Ashdown

In memory of Audrey Ashdown.

Audrey Ashdown moved to Peterborough with her husband and high school sweetheart, Bill, in 1959. She felt both excited and frightened. “It was a challenging time… But I had my life’s partner by my side,” she said.

Before long, their new home was surrounded by neighbours. They were delighted to see their children grow up with so many nearby playmates. Peterborough seemed the ideal place to raise a family, but life changed abruptly in 1982, when Bill suffered his first heart attack at only 52 years old.

Bill was rushed to PRHC. Doctors and nurses were able to stabilize him and Audrey was flooded with relief. Twenty years later, she would feel the same relief when Bill suffered another heart attack and his life was saved again at PRHC.

Audrey was grateful to still have Bill by her side after multiple cardiac events. She began volunteering at the hospital – a commitment she continued into her late eighties.

Audrey lost the love of her life when Bill passed away in 2013, but she felt overwhelming gratitude for the three decades they’d shared after his first heart attack. She’d also seen advancements and expansions of hospital services during her time as a volunteer. She felt it was a fitting choice to leave a gift to PRHC Foundation in her will.

Though she made sure to provide for her children in her will, Audrey viewed her legacy gift as one that would ultimately give back to them, too. “I want to ensure that my children, grandchildren, neighbours and friends will receive the same high calibre healthcare that I have benefited from,” she explained.

Audrey’s children are proud that their mother’s generosity has continued to make an impact on the community since her passing in 2021. Her legacy gift has helped sustain services at PRHC, providing high-quality care for people from across the region. Through her bequest, Audrey’s kindness lives on.

For more information on legacy and planned giving, or to share your legacy donor story, please contact Lesley Heighway, President & CEO, at 705-743-2121, ext. 3859 or send her an email.