In 2019, Nancy Hutchinson (pictured) was expecting a challenging but successful recovery from the hysterectomy surgery to remove her uterine cancer. Nothing prepared her for what the surgery would reveal – that she also had ovarian cancer.

“At the end of a long surgery day, Dr. Park gave me the news, speaking some of the most frightening words a woman can hear in the most straightforward and supportive way,” says Nancy.

Nancy started chemotherapy and began receiving the incredible care that is provided by the staff and volunteers at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) Cancer Centre of southeastern Ontario.

In September 2021, more than 18 months after finishing chemotherapy, Nancy’s ovarian cancer recurred and she was required to return to treatment. Despite this, she was determined to give back. Nancy made an extremely generous gift through the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) Honour Your Caregiver (HYC) program, in honour of KHSC Gynecologic Oncologist Dr. Elena Park and Nurse Practitioner Jan Giroux.

“Dr. Park and Jan Giroux have been caring, straightforward and generous with their time,” says Nancy. “My daughter and I are excited to be able to give back to the Centre and to all the people there who have given me so much in the past two years and who will be with me in the months ahead. I feel very fortunate to have had all of them in my corner doing everything they can to keep me healthy.”

Nancy’s incredible generosity highlights how gifts through the UHKF HYC program are a fantastic way to say “thank you” and help provide much-needed funding for equipment, research and facilities that directly impact patient care.

“I’m in awe of Nancy and so thankful for her gift,” says Dr. Park. “I think her donation will do so much good for cancer patients. The generosity of donors like Nancy is absolutely vital and has a tremendous impact on the quality of care that we’re able to provide. It also feels so good that Nancy acknowledged Jan and, by extension, the nursing staff, who do not always get the validation they deserve.”

“Nancy is a very engaged patient and a very caring and appreciative woman,” says Jan. “Gifts like hers validate the time and skills that Advanced Practice Nurses put into the care we provide. I think it’s amazing that she’s acknowledging us in this way, despite her ongoing treatment. I am overwhelmed, humbled and honoured.”

Learn more on how to thank an exceptional caregiver at KHSC or Providence Care.