After being diagnosed with blood cancer, Gail Byrnes had a spinal stroke while undergoing some tests.

She suddenly lost feeling and function of her legs. It was a terrifying experience but one that led to her donating generously towards local health care.

Gail was carried into Providence Care Hospital on a stretcher in August 2021. Two-and-a-half months later she walked out after receiving life-changing rehabilitation. Gail was so thankful that she made a generous donation to the inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation services that cared for her, located on the Heritage 1 unit at Providence Care Hospital. These unrestricted funds could be used wherever they were needed most.

Earlier this year, staff used the funds to help purchase a new bariatric wheelchair which is extra-wide, extra-strong and can accommodate almost any user.

“Providence Care Hospital’s fleet of wheelchairs are very important, particularly for the spinal rehabilitation program where people often don’t have any mobility at all,” says Richard Lenart, Occupational Therapist at Providence Care’s Providence Care Hospital site. “We need to accommodate people no matter their size, but we only have a handful of the larger wheelchairs across our entire hospital. So this new addition to our fleet is invaluable.”

If larger wheelchairs are unavailable, staff can be left scrambling for mobility options. Finding alternatives can take time and place added strain on busy staff and anxious patients, clients and residents.

“If someone is mobility-impaired, they may rely on a wheelchair to get them to therapy rooms,” says Richard. “So the new bariatric wheelchair will be incredibly helpful. I think it’s amazing that Gail valued her care at the hospital so much that she wanted to benefit the rehabilitation program in some way. We are so grateful for her support!”

Gail’s gift highlights that donors can significantly impact care even if they don’t know in advance what their donation will contribute towards. Offering unrestricted funds for use where and when they’re needed most provides staff with the best opportunities to react swiftly and efficiently to challenges they face.

“Nobody knows where money is needed more than the staff, so I think it’s important to give them the choice,” says Gail. “When I arrived, I couldn’t move my legs but now I don’t need a wheelchair. I can walk around my house and get in and out of the car. And it’s thanks to Providence Care Hospital and the incredible people who work there. So I am very glad that my donation has gone towards equipment they need and that will help patients access their own rehabilitation and therapy.”