October 2, 2024

Sunday Morning Fever Raises $22,000 for Kidney Care St. Joe’s

On Sunday, September 28^th kidney transplant recipient Saverina Scozzari celebrated her 27^th birthday in style. She and 80 of her closest family and friends gathered at the C Hotel by Carmen’s for Sunday Morning Fever – a weekend morning dance party featuring Z103’s DJ Danny D and Tony Monaco spinning a specially selected playlist during the event designed to raise funds for the kidney transplant program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

Thanks to ticket sales, sponsorships and an incredible silent auction, Saverina’s birthday party fun-draiser raised more than $22,000 for our Hospital. The funds will be used to help train kidney transplantation and care staff on the need to care for patient in mind, body and spirit so that mental health supports are offered to kidney donors and transplant recipients before and after their surgeries.

“As a transplant recipient, I’m so grateful to my dad for giving me one of his kidneys,” says Saverina. “But even though kidney transplant recipients like me are so grateful to our donors for the second chance they are providing to us, we still experience stress and anxiety about whether the transplant will be rejected. We worry about whether we’ll be able to return to our regular daily routines of working, going out with friends, going to the gym and more. So having a little extra mental health support is something I know I could have benefitted from and something I wanted to help provide to other patients like me during their time at St. Joe’s.”

In attendance at Sunday Morning Fever was Saverina’s nephrologist and surgeon, Dr. Azim Gangji. “I’m honoured to be here, celebrating your 27^th birthday with you, your dad and your family and friends.,” said Dr. Gangji in his speech at the event. “You were an inspiration to so many during your transplant journey. You have brought to the forefront a very important issue, ensuring we address and provide support for mental health in the period after transplantation.  By sharing your story, bravely helping others, and raising funds to make the transplant experience just a little easier for the people who will come after you, you are leaving such a beautiful legacy behind at St. Joe’s. All of us are looking forward to seeing what you’ll do next, to keeping tabs on your progress, and to being ready to care for you, whenever you may need us.”

Special thanks to all of the event sponsors, silent auction donors and bidders, guests and vendors who made Sunday Morning Fever such a contagious and successful event. All of us at St. Joe’s are so grateful to be the beneficiary of Sunday Morning Fever.