As an active mother of three and grandmother of ten, Nancy Cosgrove likes to dance, read and travel. In 2018, her life suddenly changed when her heart rate soared to 200 beats per minute and she was diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia.

“It’s the strangest sensation,” says Nancy. “You feel light-headed with this weird feeling of impending doom. You wonder just how long your heart can manage it for!”

Nancy’s typically positive outlook was suddenly filled with uncertainty. Always waiting for the next ‘episode,’ she was unable to plan her favourite activities. This was until Dr. Adrian Baranchuk, Cardiologist at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), scheduled her for an ablation procedure which Dr. Andres Enriquez performed in 2019.

“The results were instantaneous and have lasted to this day. I have not had any significant arrhythmia since,” says Nan cy. “I am so very grateful for their excellent care and compassion. Their talent and caring manner is a credit to the medical profession. They are both lifesavers.”

In 2019, Nancy and her husband, Brian, (pictured) pledged $100,000 to UHKF in support of the redevelopment project at KHSC’s Kingston General Hospital site. This incredible generosity was in appreciation of the excellent care Nancy received from KHSC’s cardiac team.

“They gave me my life back,” says Nancy. “And I often wonder if they feel like they are making a difference in people’s lives. Our gift is just one way to remind these extraordinary people that they definitely do. Kingston is so lucky to have them!”

“We do what we do without expecting any gratification at all,” says Dr. Baranchuk. “But when patients or members of the community provide funding to restructure areas of the hospital or allow us to access new technologies, it means the world to us. Donors, like Nancy and Brian, are helping us to provide better patient care for generations to come. We are so grateful!” 

A gift towards KHSC’s redevelopment is just one way donors are helping Kingston’s healthcare organizations plan for a bold, new vision of health care in southeastern Ontario.

“We are incredibly appreciative of the Cosgroves’ support,” says Dr. David Pichora, KHSC President and CEO. “Our massive rebuilding project will allow us to expand our capacity and adopt innovation for the services that help families, like the Cosgrove family, stay healthy. Their generous gift will help us care for southeastern Ontario’s growing needs.”