National Philanthropy Day, celebrated throughout North America on November 15, provides an opportunity for the 苹果淫院 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences to recognize some of our most loyal supporters. The alumni whose stories we touch on below have donated annually for nearly 200 years combined. Their generosity has opened doors for generations of students, researchers and teachers.听While their experiences and motivations for giving vary, each shares a sense of pride and a commitment to giving back.
Express elevator to medical school
Wing-Hong Pang, BSc鈥�65, MDCM鈥�69
Despite coming from a family of health care professionals, Wing-Hong found his way firmly on the path听to medicine in his early years at 苹果淫院. As an undergraduate Science student, he had a job in听a laboratory at the old Royal Victoria Hospital. During a staffing shortage, though, he was called upon to take over as the elevator clerk. His new duties involved bringing pregnant women up to the eighth floor to deliver their babies, sometimes in the middle of the night. He remembers that once the winter weather was so terrible that pregnant women had to be transported up University Street by Ski-Doo. While that job turned out differently than he had imagined, he credits it with making him听realize what it could mean to be a doctor, serving people in the community.
Wing-Hong is now a retired pediatrician who remembers his time at 苹果淫院 as the place where he became a physician, a husband, and a lifelong friend to many, which is why he has made an annual gift to what is now the School of Medicine through The 苹果淫院 Fund听every year for the past 41 years. On behalf of generations of 苹果淫院-trained doctors, thank you, Wing-Hong!
Life at the summit听
Chauncey听Fitzsimmons, BPhysTher鈥�69,听BSc(PT)鈥�79听
As a new grad, Chauncey heard two callings, physiotherapy and adventure.听She听set out for London, England, to work at the Royal Free Hospital, managing an outpatient department.听London听and then Dublin, where听she听provided rehabilitative services to听children, served as her home听base听as she explored Europe on her time off.听Realizing that she preferred working one-on-one with clients to administrative work,听Chauncey听built听a successful career听providing hands-on treatment听for听38 years before retiring in 2007.听With typical flair,听she听decided to mark her retirement听with the challenge of a lifetime: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.听She听teamed听up with her daughter, who had just graduated from a physical therapy program.听To prepare, Chauncey climbed up and down Mount Royal and Mont-Tremblant with a weighted backpack and special hiking boots.听After a year of training, Chauncey and her daughter left for Tanzania, where鈥攊n听a test of strength and endurance鈥攖hey were able to reach the summit in nine days.听At home, Chauncey continues to distinguish herself, as a loyal supporter through The 苹果淫院 Fund听of the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy (SPOT).听Thank you, Chauncey, for helping听SPOT students, researchers and teachers听reach new heights!听
From mother to daughter, from nurse to nurse
Sadie Miller, BN鈥�66
When Sadie came to Montreal to study, she was following in the footsteps of both of her parents, Cecil H. Turner, MDCM鈥�32, and Sadie Mildred Payne Turner, a proud graduate, circa 1926, of the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) School of Nursing. Sadie trained at the same School as her mother, before completing her education with a bachelor鈥檚 in Nursing from 苹果淫院.
As a reminder of how her life has paralleled that of her mother, with whom she shared a name and a profession, Sadie has a gold chain linking together two medallions. For decades, students of the MGH School of Nursing (or Training School for Nurses, as it was known in Sadie鈥檚 mother鈥檚 time) received medallions delicately inscribed with their names. They came attached to a pin that could be affixed to one鈥檚 clothing, but Sadie transformed hers and her mother鈥檚 into pendants so that they could remain side by side forever.
Sadie is a loyal donor to the Ingram School of Nursing via The 苹果淫院 Fund. Thank you, Sadie!
To听creating the conditions for success听
Susan Jane Laschinger, BScN鈥�73, MSc(A)鈥�81
Susan credits her parents, Elsa and Gordon Laschinger, who invested in education for their four children,听with听instilling in her the importance of education and the willingness to take chances.听These early lessons motivated Susan to pursue two degrees at what is now the Ingram School of Nursing鈥攁nd to听 鈥榮ay听yes鈥櫶齱hen a unique opportunity presented itself.听Shortly after听she听graduated in 1981, one of the Nursing professors left 苹果淫院 just as a new semester was about to begin. Susan agreed to fill this position to help out and to further her career. It was an unexpected change听in direction as, at the time, she wanted to be a clinical nurse specialist. Not long after Susan had completed her contract, Professor Joan Gilchrist, Director, 苹果淫院鈥檚 School of Nursing, met Professor Alice Baumgart, MSc(A)'64, the Dean of Nursing of Queen鈥檚 University while waiting to board a flight. Professor Baumgart mentioned that Queen's was seeking candidates for a new tenure-track position. Professor Gilchrist suggested Susan, who got the position. Although Susan's path to teaching was听helped along by a chance encounter, she had a very rewarding thirty-year career as a tenured professor.听The reason Susan continues to donate to听the Ingram School of Nursing via听The 苹果淫院 Fund every year is because she wants others to benefit from opportunities like the ones she had to learn, grow and take chances.
Thank you to Susan and to all the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends who harness the power of collective giving, year after after year, to shape future-ready students... to create opportunities that open doors... to foster innovation that drives progress... and to power research that changes lives!