After husband and wife die of cancer, Ont. hospital announces staggering $20M donation in their name

globalnews.ca:

Archie Verspeeten’s long and storied life came to an end on Saturday but his impact across southwestern Ontario will be felt for generations of cancer patients thanks to his parting gift: $20 million to the London Health Sciences Foundation.

The gift, in the names of both Archie and his wife Irene who died of cancer in 2017, marks the largest ever single donation to a hospital foundation in the region’s history and foundation staff say it will “revolutionize” cancer care for patients across Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Perth, Huron, Grey, Bruce, Lambton and Kent counties who are all served by the London Regional Cancer Program.

Before his death, the LHSF said that Verspeeten expressed that losing his wife and two of his sons to the disease “intensified my determination to create a lasting impact in the battle against this devastating disease.”

He said the gift, which was given before he passed, was more than a financial investment.

“It represents a strategic move toward finding a cure for cancer and reshaping the LRCP into a sanctuary of hope and healing. I sincerely hope this contribution will not only advance efforts toward a cure but also enhance the quality of life for patients, allowing them to live comfortably despite the challenges of the disease.”

1/ We are incredibly grateful to the late Archie and Irene Verspeeten, for their extraordinary $20 million donation to the <a href=«https://twitter.com/LHSFCanada?ref_src=» https:>@LHSFCanada

! This generous gift marks a milestone, as the biggest donation ever to a hospital foundation in the history of SW Ontario