Earlier this summer Patty & Laura – both mothers, wives, daughters and friends – reached out to thank donors for their past support as well asking gifts be made to RVH again this year. Please consider a donation to help save more lives.
It’s true. Without you – and other generous people like you who have supported the Renfrew Victoria Hospital and Foundation – we may not be here today to watch our children flourish.
We are both mothers, wives, daughters and friends. We have always lived life to the fullest and been grateful for each day that we are here.
Our names are Laura and Patty. First, we are writing to extend our heartfelt thanks for your unselfishness. Because of you we get to spend another summer creating memories with our families. We are extremely appreciative for that.
Nobody is ever prepared to go on the journey that we have been on together. In the midst of raising young families, enjoying rewarding careers and leading healthy, busy lives, a diagnosis of breast cancer on the same day was an unexpected bump in the road for both of us.
Together we faced it head on. It was the beginning of a new aspect of our five-year friendship as we were there for and with one another, literally side-by side through chemotherapy treatments and all of its side effects—sickness and pain and hair loss.
We were incredibly lucky to have the support of our spouses and families, and we received a flood of kindness from our work families, our close friends and the community. It was overwhelming and humbling and truly appreciated.
The other truly remarkable support we could count on was from our oncology teams and everyone involved in our care at Renfrew Victoria Hospital. They were considerate and kind and didn’t hesitate when we did thing like ask to be scheduled together for our treatments.
It made a huge difference to have our chemotherapy close to home. Being greeted by those friendly smiling faces in the oncology department felt like we were there to have a visit with friends and helped to ease the anxiety that accompanied treatment.
There were also the people that you don’t always hear about who helped make a difference. All of the members of the Medical Imaging team from breast screening through to the radiologists are the unsung heroes, along with our family physician who went above and beyond to make sure we were okay and looked after.
We lacked for nothing in our care and always felt very special. That’s the way at the Renfrew Victoria Hospital. And we know the hundreds of others who went through treatment – 925 chemotherapy treatments in total including ours – feel the same.
We are equally grateful to all of the generous friends who helped fund state-of-the-art equipment and technology. It made an incredible difference to us as it does so many others.
As we continue on our lifelong cancer journey we encourage you to make a special gift today to help other families like ours receive the very best possible care, close to home. Thank you!
Laura Carter & Patty Gravelle
ps. We hope you will join us in supporting RVH and help to ensure our community always has access to quality care close to home. Please make a donation here.
pps. It’s our turn to make a difference. Because we want to show our appreciation in a tangible way to those who have made it a smooth ride this far with their special brand of care, we will be hosting a special community event in October. Please stay tuned for details!
Tags: