Thank you.
That’s the simple sentiment behind an anonymous donation of $3.1 million to the Scarborough Hospital, the largest it’s ever received.
“It’s obviously a very exciting moment,” hospital foundation president and CEO Michael Mazza said. “It’s exciting when you are meeting with donors that make [supporting their hospital] a very high priority.
“They’re very passionate and care deeply about making change and supporting the program.”
The anonymous Scarborough family decided to donate to the Scarborough Hospital out of appreciation for the service it’s received over the years and is excited the gift will help the community, the hospital said.
With the money, the hospital is set to purchase two new CT scanners for the Birchmount and General campuses, replacing outdated scanners. They’re expected to arrive in late fall or early winter.
The Government of Ontario pays for the hospital operations, such as utilities and salaries, but equipment purchases are dependant on donations. The Scarborough Hospital often raises funds for urgently needed medical equipment.
The anonymous Scarborough family is spreading the donation over a period of time. The hospital has already received $1.3 million. The remaining $1.8 million is set to come in over the next three to five years.
CT scanners — used to quickly identify injuries in trauma patients, guide biopsies, diagnose treatment for heart disease, and assess the severity of tumours and cancers — are used by nearly every department in the hospital and are run 24 hours a day.
Mazza explained the new CT scanners will allow radiologists to make better diagnoses with the clearer pictures. They also give off less radiation, and operate faster. They’ll be able to do more CT scans per day, a huge benefit for patients.
The new scanners will allow radiologists to make better diagnoses with the clearer pictures, Mazza said. They also give off less radiation and operate faster, meaning the hospital will be able to do more CT scans per day, he said.
Hospital volunteers raised about $60,000 through a car raffle, which will also go toward buying the scanners. Each scanner costs approximately $1.3 million.
“$3.1 million is such a significant gift,” Mazza said. “It provides an example of what could be done with charitable dollars.
“What’s exciting is gifts often attract other gifts. This is a significant step forward.”
Prior to this contribution, $1 million had been the largest single donation.
Mazza said he believes this act of kindness could inspire others to make similar choices.
“The more a community understands that they can improve the healthcare of their hospital by investing in their community hospital, the better the hospital becomes,” he said. “Strong communities build strong hospitals.”