QEII Foundation receives $20-million gift for cancer care

HALIFAX – The QEII Foundation has announced a $20-million gift, its largest, single donation received to date. The MacDonald family donated $20 million to the QEII Foundation to help transform cancer care at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, N. S., the specialized referral centre for the Atlantic provinces.

This gift will support advanced cancer care technology, such as personalized radiotherapy, a world’s first cancer-fighting technology being developed at the QEII. The family’s generous support will also be a catalyst for enabling future innovation and discovery opportunities to happen sooner.

This will help contribute to delivering care differently, improving access and patient outcomes, reducing wait times, and attracting and retaining the brightest minds in medicine.

In honour of their late parents, Colin and Belle MacDonald, the MacDonald family’s tribute gift will name a new cancer care centre being developed as part of QEII New Generation.

“The QEII Foundation is so grateful to work with the MacDonald family on this transformational gift and their wish to create a lasting legacy to their late parents, Colin and Belle,” said Susan Mullin, president and CEO, QEII Foundation.

“The MacDonald family’s $20-million transformational gift for cancer care will raise the bar in delivering the world’s best cancer care, right here at home. While we have reached an amazing milestone for the Foundation – our largest, single donation to date – the real impact and measurement of that milestone is the lives changed and lives saved as a result of the family’s generosity.”

With a vision of integrated, advanced care delivered in a supportive, healing environment, the new cancer centre will be a beacon of hope for patients and families and exemplify the commitment to deliver compassionate, innovative healthcare. The MacDonald family shares a similar commitment, as healthcare connections run deep in their family.

The matriarch of the family, Belle, spent her career caring for others, as head nurse for many years at the former Halifax Infirmary hospital. In addition to caring for hundreds of patients and families, Belle raised her seven children while working long hours and stretching every dollar.

Her strength, perseverance, and giving nature was instilled in the MacDonald children, who are proud to honour both of their parents with this lead gift.

Earlier this year, the QEII Foundation launched its We Are campaign, a $100-million campaign to transform health care at the QEII. Supporting many care areas, such as diagnostic imaging, mental healthcare, rehabilitation, heart health, cancer care, and surgical robotics, the We Are campaign will truly elevate clinical excellence at the QEII to new heights.

Pictured above: The MacDonald siblings