Story Posted: 2023-11-10
Celebrating generosity: Daphne Arnason and Leo Bourassa support X-ray & ultrasound technology
From the Spirit Newsletter: The voice of St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation.
St. Paul’s Hospital holds a special place in the hearts of Daphne Arnason and Leo Bourassa. All four of their children were born at the Hospital and spent their first days there, and their family has benefited from healthcare services provided by the Hospital on a number of occasions as well. This deep connection is why the couple was inspired to give back: to help ensure that state-of-the art equipment and technology are available to deliver the services they know so many people rely on.
“It is difficult to imagine our city and province without the medical services that St. Paul’s provides,” comment Daphne and Leo. “On the other hand, it is not difficult to imagine a situation where our family and community of friends could find themselves in sudden and urgent need of these services.”
One vehicle of giving that has resonated with the pair is providing matching gifts, whereby they pledge to match donations from the community. Daphne and Leo pledged $25,000 to support the 2023 Seeds of Hope fundraising letter, inspiring our community to give a total of $107,960 in support of an X-Ray Room to house an advanced digital X-Ray machine.
They like the idea of a collective force of donors joining together and pooling their resources, then watching the results multiply. In the couple’s view, “Everyone comes out winners! As donors, it provides a sense of satisfaction from a team effort — by donating together we can see greater results. But most importantly, the Foundation benefits from the financial leverage of being able to amplify the funds raised from the campaign.”
The couple also gave an impressively generous $80,000 gift to bring an Aplio Ultrasound machine to the Hospital. This technology will enable much safer prostate biopsies, a reduction of biopsy infection rates to nearly zero, and drastically shortened recovery time for patients who undergo the procedure. In their journey of giving, the couple have fostered a culture of philanthropy within their own family as well. Their four children each have growing families of their own, and Daphne and Leo hope to lead and inspire by example in the same way that they themselves have seen others do.
“We have been inspired by the past and present generosity of many individuals and families within the community,” they explain. “We hope that our children will also understand the importance of giving back to organizations such as St. Paul’s Hospital.”
Through this journey of giving, Daphne and Leo have deepened their family’s connection to St. Paul’s Hospital, celebrated the generosity of others through their matching gift, and fostered a culture of philanthropy that extends far beyond their own family. We’re so grateful both for their support and for the philanthropy their gift has inspired in others.