Sharing a single story can change a life. It can put a face to a cause and inspire others. When it comes to Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), sharing a story can also support world-class care close to home and even help save the lives of friends and family.
As a dedicated donor and ambassador for the PRHC Foundation, Jennie Ireland has seen the power of sharing her story first-hand. Since receiving treatment for breast cancer at PRHC seven years ago, she continues to champion the work of the hospital and Foundation by telling her story and, each time she does, she encourages more people to join her.
The PRHC Foundation wants to hear more stories like Ireland’s from those wanting to support the $60 million Campaign for PRHC, the largest fundraising effort in the hospital and Foundation’s history. The campaign will reimagine healthcare and address critical hospital challenges by investing in state-of-the-art technology, fuelling innovation, bringing new services to the region, attracting top healthcare professionals, and inspiring solutions.
“We’re honoured when grateful patients like Jennie choose to share their stories with our community on behalf of PRHC Foundation campaign fundraising efforts,” says PRHC Foundation President and CEO Lesley Heighway. “It’s an act of generosity itself and shows the impact of donor-funded care on the lives of our family, friends, and neighbours, while supporting the next patient and the next family that comes to PRHC.”
As the region’s largest employer with more than 2,900 staff, 400 physicians with privileges, a core group of 260 volunteers, and its role in delivering healthcare to a population of up to 600,000 people in Peterborough and surrounding areas, PRHC plays an important role in thousands of people’s lives. All who are impacted are encouraged to share their stories, whether they are patients or family members of patients, donors, volunteers, staff or anyone else who has a message about the impact of PRHC on their lives.
Ireland’s story describes how important it was for her to have undergone her breast cancer treatments at PRHC. As a single mother with aging parents, being close to home meant her treatments were less stressful and she could spend more time with her family.
In her ambassador role, she regularly acts as a voice for the PRHC Foundation, speaking at third-party events, at fundraisers, and to fellow donors. Such was the case when Ireland spoke at the Campaign for PRHC launch in June and the recent presentation of Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival’s donation to the Foundation.
“Being able to get treatment in my community meant less worry, more time with my family, and I believe had a huge impact on my recovery,” she said. “You gave me the smallest moments with my son, like putting him on and off the bus. You helped save my life and, because of you, my son has a mother.”
In addition to publicly sharing her story, Ireland has also supported the PRHC Foundation as a Peterborough Petes Pink in the Rink volunteer, a Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival volunteer, and a signatory of a fundraising mail appeal. In fact, she takes the opportunity to share her story wherever she can.
“I became a donor and ambassador to help make sure more patients like me get the care they need where they need it most — right here at home,” said Ireland.
For Heighway, stories like Ireland’s help people understand the real-life impact of donations to the Campaign for PRHC.
“To hear her explain what it means to her and her family to have become a patient and experience expert and compassionate care close to home first-hand, made possible by donors, is really moving,” says Heighway. “I’ve heard from community members that Jennie has helped them better understand how truly important donations are to people just like them.”
Along with inspiring donations that will help fund equipment at PRHC to care for patients, who could be a family member or friend, sharing a story can also lift the spirits of hospital doctors, nurses and staff, offer hope to current PRHC patients, and encourage others to think about and share their own connections with the hospital.
It can also raise awareness of the fact that, because government does not fund hospital equipment or technology, the most generous communities have the best hospitals.
That’s top of mind for high school teacher and coach Nick Beamish, who chooses to donate and share his story because of a time when he was unable to get care close to home at PRHC and wants to see a future where patients in his situation can.
After experiencing heart palpitations for weeks, it was just before the Christmas break when he went to PRHC and was told there was an urgent issue with his heart rhythms. He learned the hospital did not have the facilities to do the necessary procedures and, as a result, he had to be rushed far from home to Kingston where he spent Christmas in the ICU.
“It was stressful, not just for me being in the hospital, but for my family in having to make the two-and-a-half-hour trip to just come and check in,” he recalls. “The thing that I most felt was loneliness and frustration in the sense that I was so far away from my family, and I was so far away from home.”
Since then, Beamish has been an advocate for the Campaign for PRHC which, in part, will see further investments in PRHC’s Cardiac Centre for Excellence. While donor support has already allowed the hospital to update its two Cardiac Cath Lab suites with state-of-the-art technology, additional donations will fund the construction of a third cardiac lab that will support the introduction of cardiac electrophysiology — treatment for electrical conditions of the heart.
These advancements will help eliminate the need for patients like Beamish to travel as far as Kingston or Toronto to receive cardiac care.
“The major thing for people to understand is that, while a heart issue needs to be solved, the fact that you are so far away from home is such a stressor on yourself and your family,” Beamish says. “The fact that PRHC is trying to raise the money to be able to bring this type of procedure to the Peterborough region so that people can get the type of care close to home is invaluable.”
Beamish has since become a father of two young sons, who were both born at PRHC, and has known many family members who have experienced the lifesaving care offered by the hospital. It is his hope that they will continue to be able to get any future care they need close to home, and that’s why he shares his story.
“I remember when Nick dressed up as Santa Claus for a children’s event in support of the Foundation, and soon after his health crisis put his life on hold and forced him hours away from family to get the care he needed,” says Heighway. “Now Nick’s a dad himself and he has a new perspective on how important it is for us all to receive the best care close to home. I’m glad he’s willing to share that experience and how donors like him can help make it possible. Every one of us deserves world-class care, right here.”
Supporting world-class care close to home can start with reaching out to the PRHC Foundation to share a story of impact.
“Grateful patient stories highlight the joy in philanthropy and hope for the future of patient care,” says Heighway. “They can break down stigma, build community connection, and inspire us all to think about the role our hospital plays in all our lives.”
Like Jennie and Nick, you too can share your story through the PRHC Foundation and inspire others as a Campaign for PRHC ambassador. For more information or to volunteer, please email foundationeventsonline@prhc.on.ca or call Valerie Gagnon, PRHC Foundation Charitable Giving Advisor, at 705-743-2121, ext. 4184.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the PRHC Foundation. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
