November 18, 2019

Bruno and Pamela Bragoli

Pamela Bragoli knows first-hand how research can touch and improve someone’s life.

During World War II while in the United Kingdom 11-year-old Pamela sprained her left ankle, which did not respond to treatment. After being referred to an Orthopaedic Surgeon the diagnosis was tuberculosis of the ankle, which left her in a plaster cast for six-years. This was not considered a cure and amputation of the leg was considered. However, researchers had developed a new drug called Streptomycin as a successful alternative to amputation and Pamela’s leg was saved. At age nineteen Pamela developed tuberculosis of the lung and research once again provided her with a cure.

Years later, as Pamela and her husband Bruno started to update their Will, they began thinking of what was near and dear to their hearts. Bruno has a long history with the healthcare industry and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. He was a member on the Hospital’s Board of Trustees, a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and a community member on St. Joe’s Research and Ethics Board. His involvement, combined with Pamela’s gratitude for the role research had and continues to have in her life, made St. Joe’s the perfect beneficiary of their estate.

Pamela wanted their estate to support healthcare research that involved the lungs, and after a visit with Dr. Martin Kolb, Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Pamela and Bruno decided to direct their estate to support Pulmonary Fibrosis research.
Lung damage caused by pulmonary fibrosis can’t be repaired and there is currently no cure. Pamela and Bruno hope their legacy will change that.

“It is fantastic to see this extraordinary support for lung research. The Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health is home to one of the largest research groups in pulmonary fibrosis in Canada, and we could not do scientific and cutting edge clinical work for our patients without the help from such generous people like Pamela and Bruno,” explained Dr. Kolb.
Pamela and Bruno informed St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation of their estate plans to ensure that their legacy gift will support the area of research that matters most to them.
St. Joe’s is a world-renowned leader in respirology. Diseases such as asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Pulmonary Fibrosis and lung cancer affect millions of Canadians, including an increasing number of children. Diseases can kill or cause distressing shortness of breath and can, over time, cause permanent damage in even well-treated patients.

Since its inception in 1972, the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton has become a world-renowned centre for the investigation and treatment of serious respiratory diseases, helping millions breathe easier and live longer, healthier lives.