Embracing Legacy

How generosity can have a lasting and transformative impact

Linda and Pam Sinclair were not surprised when their father and stepmother, Walter and Caryl, shared their decision to leave a legacy gift to Sunnybrook.

For Walter and Caryl Sinclair, the decision to include Sunnybrook in their Will came after receiving life-saving care at the hospital. They were deeply grateful for the compassion and quality of care they had received from Team Sunnybrook. After Walter and Caryl passed away, Linda and Pam embarked on a journey to ensure their parents’ values translated into meaningful action.

“As we began to consider the focus of their donation, the idea of a fellowship resonated with us because education and equity were close to their hearts and a focus throughout their careers,” says Linda. As a result, the IDEA Fellowship was born in 2023. The acronym “IDEA” stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access, and the fellowship is dedicated to training future health-care practitioners in structural heart disease management.

And the Sinclair’s impact didn’t stop there. “Sunnybrook already had some great initiatives in this area which showed us how the fellowship could fit in with the overall aspirations of the hospital,” she shares. Accordingly, fellows who will be awarded the first IDEA Fellowship this year will also become mentors for SPARK, the Sunnybrook Program to Access Research Knowledge for Black and Indigenous medical students. This collaboration amplifies the impact of the IDEA Fellowship by extending it beyond its initial scope and further fostering inclusivity and excellence in health care.

By including a gift to Sunnybrook in their estate plans, Walter and Caryl Sinclair became founding members of the Kilgour Legacy Society. This group was established to honour and celebrate individuals who choose to shape the future of health care by supporting Sunnybrook with a legacy gift. Joining this community of donors, the Sinclairs and others are paving the way for future generations to receive life-saving care and support.

A gift in your Will can be a way to share and pass on your values, make a lasting impact in Sunnybrook’s priority programs, and improve outcomes for patients with the most complex health care needs long into the future.

If you have arranged a gift in your Will or estate plan for Sunnybrook, we are so grateful. We invite you to share this information with us so that your generosity can be recognized, and also serve as inspiration for others thinking about their own legacy gift. Together, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact in Sunnybrook’s priority programs and the lives of patients for many years to come.

To learn more about how you can give a gift to Sunnybrook in your will, contact christa.kelly@sunnybrook.ca or visit our website to learn more.