September 23, 2021

Ancaster Couple Makes a Gift Both Now and Through Their Will for St. Joe’s 

Barbara and Randy Raphael have dedicated their lives to charitable giving, so leaving a legacy in support of healthcare through both a present-day and a planned gift in their will to St. Joe’s was an obvious choice for the couple.

The longtime Ancaster residents have committed a significant donation from their estate to our Hospital for the future of healthcare—which was already an extraordinary display of generosity. But not content to stop there, the Raphaels also made a donation of $50,000 to help renovate and refurbish a Special Care Suite in St. Joe’s Nephrology unit for patients receiving end-of-life care for kidney disease.

A Present-Day Gift to Support Palliative Patients

Barbara’s personal experience as a kidney cancer survivor and retired nurse is what inspired the Raphaels to sponsor the Special Care Suite in St. Joe’s Nephrology unit.

“After having my kidney removed many years ago, and working as a nurse in the community who cared for many palliative patients, I understood better than most how valuable a Special Care Suite in Nephrology would be for patients and their families during those final stages of care,” says Barbara.

Furnished with couches, artwork and other comforting features, Special Care Suites feel less like a Hospital room and more like a home. They offer patients and loved ones a serene environment to navigate end of life in privacy, and with dignity for all.

“Most people who are facing end of life want to die at home, but that’s not always possible,” adds Barbara. “Our hope is that, if you can’t be at home or get into a hospice, this space will be a blessing for those who need it, and that it can bring families together and make even the toughest days more comfortable.”

A Planned Gift to Support the Future of Healthcare

The Raphaels’ planned gift will be divided across four key areas at the Hospital to assist in the delivery of exceptional patient care and innovative health research. These areas include our:

• Robotic Surgery Program;
• Urologic Cancer Centre for Research and Innovation;
• Essential medical equipment; and
• Emerging Hospital needs.

The Raphaels said the opportunity to plan their estate gift with St. Joe’s helped them identify key funding priorities and gave them peace of mind knowing their legacy gift would be used according to their wishes.

“It’s important for people to know that when you share your wishes in advance, you can tailor and direct gifts to specific causes that are close to your heart. I think there’s a lot of people who haven’t yet thought about giving through their will or estate, so hopefully by sharing our story, we may inspire others to do the same,” Randy says.

“Our whole life has been about giving and volunteering, and healthcare is a cause that has always been near-and-dear to us. We don’t give because we expect accolades and recognition, we do it because giving is in our hearts and we feel it’s what we’re meant to do.”

Philanthropy is Not Time Bound: Your Will Can Do More! 

St. Joe’s Foundation has once again partnered with the Canadian Association of Gift Planners on a nation-wide campaign called Will Power. The campaign is designed to educate people on the power to create positive change through a charitable gift in their will or estate plan.

Planning a legacy gift is a powerful way to show your faith and commitment to the future of healthcare in this community and the opportunity to say “thank you” for care received, to honour a caregiver, or to ensure loved ones, friends, and neighbours will have access to exceptional patient care at St. Joe’s. Learn more about sharing your legacy with us!