Christmas Gifts have Extra Meaning
January 18, 2017
Christmas is a time for giving. This past year, Joan and Sergio Russo decided they wanted to do something extra special in honour of their children and grandchildren and donated $25 in each of their names to the Northern Cancer Fund.
Darcy Brown, Joan’s daughter, explained, “My parents are amazing people and came to Canada in the 1950s alone to start the Canadian Dream. They met, married and raised their family here with no help on either side. We all love, adore and respect what they’ve done. Happily married for 61 years, they are incredible role models to us all.”
Joan herself worked at McKellar Hospital for over 25 years as a Cardiac Technologist and retired in 1992. So she’s no stranger to the need for donations to support exceptional care. And with cancer affecting several members of her family, it seemed fitting to her and Sergio to make gifts to the Northern Cancer Fund to support not only their family, but many families that have loved ones with cancer.
Not ones to boast about their gifts, it took Darcy to convince her parents to share their story. “I’m facing ovarian cancer and I was so touched that my Mom did this for all of us,” she said. “I told them they should share this and hopefully inspire others to do the same.”
For more information on making a gift in honour of someone special, please visit our website at healthsciencesfoundation.ca or call our Donation Centre at (807) 345-4673.