A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they shall never sit.
No, that bit of deep wisdom did not originate from the mind of this writer. Instead it was borrowed from an old Greek proverb.
It came to mind while attending the ribbon cutting of the Bill and Kay Paul Medical Imaging Centre. On Oct. 8 Lennox and Addington County General Hospital (LACGH) officially unveiled the name of the centre, which houses its MRI machine along with mammography, CT, ultrasound and x-ray clinics.
The building was named as a tribute to a legacy gift of $1.75 million from the Pauls. Few acts as a selfless as a legacy gift. Those that leave behind such gifts will never benefit from it in this lifetime. The gift does however have a huge positive impact on the next generation, and for that we should all be grateful.
This donation, the biggest of its kind in the history of the LACGH Foundation, was the final push needed to complete the $3.5 million fundraising campaign for the new MRI machine. It was only last October that the campaign was first announced during the 40th anniversary of the LACGH Volunteer Services. In a calendar year this community was able to raise the funds needed to cover the cost of this machine which allows LACGH to keep healthcare close to home. While no one is particularly excited about having to go for an MRI, being able to do so in their own community is just one less thing to worry about during an already stressful time. It also leads to faster results which ultimately means better outcomes, no matter the situation. When it comes to matters of the hospital no one ever wants to have to use its services. However, like it or not, at some point in our lives we’re going to need it. That’s why it’s always much better to have a local hospital with the latest technology and not have to use it, compared to needing it and not having it available. Fortunately that’s a sentiment this community has always seemed to understand, which isn’t always the case across the province. The great team behind this fundraising campaign deserves a lot of credit.
The Airhart, Hogeboom, Parrott and Churchill families also played a major role in making this happen, as did every resident who donated to the campaign, whether it was through a charity bike ride, cookie sale or whatever the means.
Naming the building after Bill and Kay Paul is a great way to say thanks for their incredible donation and will serve as a great testament to their lasting impact on local healthcare.
-Adam Prudhomme