A lasting tribute to the donors shaping the future of care

On June 10, the MUHC Foundation unveiled its new Legacy Donor Wall for the first time—a meaningful tribute to the visionary donors whose generosity will help shape health care for generations to come.

Located within the hospital, the wall recognizes people who choose to leave a gift in their will to the MUHC Foundation, while inviting others to see how members of our community are creating a lasting legacy of care. Displaying the names of generous donors, it is a powerful reminder that behind every breakthrough are people who believed in a healthier future and chose to help build it.

The unveiling ceremony was a touching and emotional moment for donors, families, health care workers, and Foundation staff. During the event, 31 donors and loved ones were pinned in recognition of their extraordinary commitment to the future of care. For many families, the ceremony was a chance to honour someone they love and see their legacy recognized in a lasting and meaningful way. Dr. Marc Rodger, Physician-in-Chief at the MUHC, who pinned recipients, was deeply moved:

“Legacy gifts help ensure that the MUHC can continue to deliver exceptional care, advance research, and train the next generation of health care leaders long into the future,” says Dr. Marc Rodger. “They serve as a profound act of trust in what this institution can achieve for patients and families today and in the future, and we are very grateful for this support.”

For Kim Cavener, Director of Strategic Giving at the MUHC Foundation, conversations about legacy giving often begin with gratitude.

The people Kim works with are often long-time donors whose generosity has helped advance care at the MUHC, support research at the Research Institute of the MUHC, fund equipment, improve hospital spaces and give physicians, nurses, researchers and health care teams the tools they need to do their best work.

“Many of the donors I speak with have supported the Foundation for years,” says Kim. “Legacy giving is often a natural next step—one that allows them to extend the impact of a lifetime of philanthropy in a thoughtful and lasting way.”

For many, the connection is deeply personal. They may be grateful patients who want the exceptional care they received to continue for others. They may have seen a loved one treated with compassion and given a second chance at life. They may be inspired by a doctor, a research program, a hospital team, or a specific area of care that touched their lives.

A gift in a will gives them the opportunity to multiply that impact. It can be simple, flexible, and deeply meaningful. It can also help create a more sustainable future for the hospital, ensuring that the programs, projects, and areas of care donors care about today can continue to evolve tomorrow.

The new Legacy Donor Wall was created to honour that kind of vision.

One of the names recognized is Elspeth McConnell, whose generosity through personal gifts and the Doggone Foundation helped shape the MUHC in extraordinary ways, including supporting the construction of the Glen site. Over the years, the Doggone Foundation has contributed more than $31 million to the MUHC, supporting various life-changing initiatives across the hospital and research institute, as well as contributing to the development of the Glen site.

“Elspeth McConnell took quiet pride in her vital role in enabling the very construction of the McGill University Health Centre,” says Susan Avon, Vice-President of the Doggone Foundation. “Through the Doggone Foundation, her support for primary patient care, mental health, and nursing education were at the heart of her philanthropic mission. She championed transformational medical research for the greater good of her community and, in so doing, encouraged further investment to help secure a brighter and better world for future generations.”

As the MUHC marks a decade at the Glen site, the MUHC Foundation Legacy Donor Wall reflects both what has been built and what is still possible. It recognizes donors whose legacy is helping ensure the MUHC remains a place of exceptional care, bold research, and medical discovery long into the future.

“For families, the wall also serves as a lasting place of remembrance,” adds Kim. “Loved ones will be able to return to the hospital, see a familiar name and know that their family’s impact continues to make a difference.”

Legacy gifts can support many areas of the MUHC’s mission. Some donors choose to advance research, while others want to strengthen patient care, support fellowships and awards for the next generation of physicians, or help ensure that teaching hospitals continue to attract and train outstanding talent.

The wall also displays the names of people who, in their lifetime, have included the Foundation in their will. People like Patricia Hales, who after more than 40 years working in pre-clinical medical research, has chosen legacy giving as a way to support the essential tools that make discovery possible.

“I believe deeply in the progress being made to improve treatments for many diseases,” says Patricia. “But discovery depends on the tools researchers use every day. My hope is that this gift will help maintain and repair the equipment that makes research possible, so that scientists can continue advancing new treatments and changing lives.”

No matter the area, each gift carries a story, and the new MUHC Foundation Legacy Donor Wall brings those stories into view. It reminds patients, families, staff, and visitors that philanthropy is part of the life of the hospital. It shows that community support plays a vital role in making progress possible.

Most of all, it is a tribute to those who think not only about what they can do today, but about the difference they can make tomorrow.

Marie-Hélène Laramée, President and CEO of the MUHC Foundation, who was also pinning recipients at the ceremony, expresses her gratitude for the generous people who have chosen to build their legacy with the MUHC Foundation:

“To our legacy donors and their families: thank you for believing in the future of health care at the MUHC,” says Marie-Hélène. “Your generosity is helping drive discovery, strengthen patient care, and create new possibilities for those who need them most. Through the new Legacy Donor Wall, the MUHC Foundation is proud to honour the visionary changemakers whose generosity makes this progress possible.”

Legacy gifts are helping shape the future of care for generations of patients in Quebec. 

Learn more about legacy giving here.