In the pursuit of advancing healthcare on Vancouver Island, the Victoria Hospitals Foundation has partnered with Will Power, a national movement to educate Canadians about the power they have to make a difference through their wills.
John & Marg Bowron’s Story
On a Thanksgiving Sunday in 2016, John and Marg never anticipated urgently rushing to the Emergency Department instead of enjoying a holiday meal with friends.
As the retired couple went about their morning routine, John decided to clean the windows on the roof of their home in Oak Bay. Before he realized something was wrong, John was falling off the roof and into their yard below onto large rocks placed to deter deer from the garden.
“I have no idea how I fell, but I first recognized something was wrong was when I saw myself through the reflection of the TV room window,” recalls John.
John and Marg, who recently celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary, worked and lived in several cities across Canada before finally settling in Victoria. They have enjoyed a successful and unique life filled with different business development and financial research opportunities.
Soon after his fall, Marg found John in the garden and immediately called 911. Having struck his head open on the rocks below, John would not have survived without the immediate help of the Oak Bay Fire Department, who resuscitated him with three to four minutes to live.
After rushing to Victoria General Hospital, Vancouver Island’s trauma referral centre, John underwent seven hours of surgery on his head and legs. Finally, he stabilized in the intensive care unit. In one leg alone, he had 52 sutures. Following more surgeries and several weeks spent in the neurological ward, the couple soon realized that, at the age of 75, John would have to rebuild how he lives and functions.
After months of recovery and relearning how to walk, John started to gain his life back. “John had a great attitude to get better – whenever he’s told he can’t do this or that, he’s set on proving you wrong,” says Marg.
During John and Marg’s working lives and in retirement, they spent much attention, discipline, and effort on financial conservation and growth. They made diligent plans to provide for their children, as well as their extended family.
As they sat down to prepare their estate plans, their desire to care not only for their family, but also for local emergency and trauma services, became increasingly clear. They were driven by one thought: “Our hospitals need to be here.” Because truthfully if they weren’t, John wouldn’t be with us today.
“This experience made us realize that hospitals have to survive, expand, and do what they do best. It’s nice that you can support them through your will,” says John.
Not only have the couple personally thanked the caregivers who have helped John, but they have also made the generous decision to make a gift in their will to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation. Our local hospitals rely on the generosity of thoughtful donors who provide our dedicated care teams with the vital equipment they need to save lives, every day.
“I would adamantly suggest that anyone do what we did to support our hospitals. When you decide to take action now, it allows people like me the chance to survive,” stated John.
By leaving a gift to VHF in your will, you can make a bigger contribution than you ever thought possible to support our local caregivers and help provide them with the tools they need to care for their patients.
Many donors believe that they can’t support both their loved ones and their favourite cause in their will. The truth is, just a small percentage of your estate left to charity can have a big impact, while still leaving the majority for loved ones. Choosing to support your charity can also reduce and, in some cases, even eliminate the taxes to be paid. A win-win!
You don’t need to be wealthy to make a gift to charity in your will. Regardless of the size of your estate, you can be a part of this powerful movement for change. Learn more about the legacy you can create.
Will Power: A Powerful Way to Help Our Hospitals
In the pursuit of advancing healthcare on Vancouver Island, the Victoria Hospitals Foundation has partnered with Will Power, a national movement to educate Canadians about the power they have to make a difference through their wills.
Will Power is designed to inspire more Canadians to make a significant impact on the causes they care about.
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Calculate your potential gift based on the value of your property and total liabilities/debt.
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