I want you to know how inspired I am by the kindness of our community.

I'm in a fortunate position. I get to be part of building a new hospital in Prince Edward County and see how much further the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF) team can advance healthcare each year. And it's all thanks to kind-hearted people like you!

Recently, I have been reflecting on how people support our County hospital through the foundation's work. Some of you give a gift during the holidays or in memory of a loved one. Some of you give monthly or have made a provision in your will to leave a future gift to PECMHF. Some of you volunteer. Some people plan events for us or attend events that have named the foundation as the beneficiary, and some of you show up for us just because you love your hospital and this community so much.

We are surrounded by people who care – people who care about the work we do, the community we live in and the chance to make a meaningful difference.

I witnessed this firsthand recently.  

Our foundation is producing three short promotional videos that will be launched later this spring, highlighting our hospital, Care Champions, donors, and grateful patients.

The videos will feature three grateful patients and donors to PECMHF, each with a similar thread; everyone who participated in sharing their stories understands and champions the importance of having access to care close to home.

On day one of filming, our video production team, Catrix Media, captured the story of Murray Lupenette. Murray is the store manager at Picton Metro and has also been a patient at PECMH. It was amazing to see our entire community come together for our hospital. From Merland Park Cottages lending us their property for filming to the Picton Firefighters Association hosting a community barbecue in the parking lot of Metro, everyone that day was committed to helping our hospital. They may not realize, though, that by participating in the video, they’re contributing to improving healthcare delivery at our hospital, thus creating healthier futures for everyone.

Murray is an exceptional leader, an accomplished businessperson, and a genuine and authentic human being. Much of Picton Metro’s incredible culture is because of his leadership. I’m excited to see how his story pans out, and I think you will be, too.

The Catrix team filmed Lisa Lindsay’s story on the second day of shooting. She shared how the hospital is a large part of her life, a vital place in our community, and how important it was for her to receive care close to home while recovering from an accident over 20 years ago.

Lisa is someone who I see as having planted strong roots in our community. She is always there for her neighbours, friends, and loved ones. Shannon and I spent some time during filming day at Lisa’s home in Wellington. It was nice to share a meal with people who have seen how the landscape of Wellington has evolved over the years and are excited to be a part of our new hospital, which is coming to fruition.

Growing up, I looked up to Lisa as one of my cousins’ ‘cool’ friends. She knew my grandparents, and I know her brothers and sister. Returning ‘home’ to Wellington for this film shoot felt special. It was wonderful to connect with Lisa’s parents, whose house I biked past a thousand times each spring so we could watch the fish spawn in the creek from the edge of their property.

But I digress…

By allowing her story to be shared, Lisa is helping to ensure our hospital’s deep roots continue to grow, and that’s an extraordinary thing.

While filming these stories, with one yet to be filmed, I felt so thankful for the warmth of our community. I am continuously in awe of the kind and caring spirit I have seen in supporters of our hospital. These people are passionately committed to inspiring, enabling, and celebrating support for the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation, and we are so grateful.

Our ongoing success is due to the countless number of actions – both large and small. Actions taken by our staff, donors, and volunteers. And people like Lisa, Murray, Amy and Aleks (whose story is yet to unfold). There has never been a lack of meeting incredible people working with the foundation. And we can’t wait to share these inspiring stories with you in the coming months.

For information about our hospital or to donate, call 613-476-1008 ext. 4507 or visit our website at www.pecmhf.ca.