JOIN THE FIGHT TO KEEP LIFE WILD
Kent Mannen, RVH cardiac patient and survivor of a widow-maker heart attack.
Why RVH Needs Your Help
We all rightfully expect the best care, as close to home as possible, as soon as we need it.
When you or someone you love has a fever that won’t go down or can’t catch their breath, needs rehab to get back on track or is having a healthy baby after a smooth pregnancy, your local hospital, which you know and love, will take care of you.
But when the problem is life-threatening, like cancer, a heart attack or stroke, a trauma, or a mental health crisis, that’s when you need complex, advanced care right away. And that care needs to be top-notch, the quality of care we can get in any big city.
That’s when RVH is there for you. Providing world-class, life-saving specialized care close to home for people and families across Simcoe Muskoka.
But, like all hospitals, we’re under strain. And as the only regional healthcare centre providing specialized care, there are widespread implications for everyone in the region.
We can’t live our wild life unless we have our health. It’s time we fight for it.
Our region’s wild spirit—the way of life we all love—is being threatened because our precious healthcare resources are under significant pressure.
We can’t live a good life, the wild life, unless we have our health.
Right now, we have a choice to make. Are we going to fight for it
Learn More About RVH’s Regional Programs:
Cancer Care
The David and Catherine Hudson Regional Cancer Centre (HRCC) at RVH cares for our neighbours, loved ones and friends living with cancer in Simcoe Muskoka.
Cardiac Care
RVH cares for those who require immediate, life-saving cardiac care in Simcoe Muskoka. Last year, close to 2,800 patients required advanced cardiac care at RVH.
Critical Care
RVH’s ICU cares for the most critically ill patients in all of Simcoe Muskoka. Last year, more than 700 patients required intensive care at RVH.
Moms & Babies
RVH cares for our tiniest patients, their parents, and women more broadly. Each year, more than 2,000 babies are welcomed into the world at our health centre. Of thos born at RVH, about 160 of them require
neonatal intensive care in RVH’s NICU.
Stroke Care
RVH cares for those who require immediate stroke care in Simcoe Muskoka. Last year, approximately 300 patients required integrated stroke and rehabilitation care at RVH, and 1,200 patients participated in our outpatient Rehabilitation Day Program annually.
Innisfil Site
Innisfil is the largest community in our region without a hospital, forcing residents to travel for care. It’s one of the fastest-growing regions in Ontario. Forecasts estimate the population will grow by 47% in the next 30 years.
We’re calling on all of Simcoe Muskoka to protect our unique way of life.
Grateful For Your Support
Thank you for your support of RVH’s Keep Life Wild campaign. Without support of donors like you, I might not be here today.
Playing hockey one week back in 2022 I felt the first symptom of what would end up being a massive heart attack. I felt a stitch in my side, but it had been a tough shift, so I headed for the bench to have some water and catch my breath. I had some water and felt a little better, but over the next few days the pain kept coming back.
I went to the Emergency Department at RVH, and had an electrocardiogram, or EKG, that records the electrical signals of the heart. The results were normal, meaning I wasn’t actively in cardiac arrest, but the doctor suggested a blood test to see what was going on.
My blood measured a troponin level that was off the charts. I had had a heart attack. They figured it probably happened earlier that morning.
I was admitted, and a special dye was injected into my coronary arteries so they could be seen clearly under an x-ray. The dye showed that my left anterior descending (LAD) artery was 80% blocked.
It happened in what they call the widow maker artery. Most people who have a blockage here have a massive heart attack and don’t make it. I was lucky. The doctor put in a stent, and I was able to leave the hospital the following day.
I’m back to living my wild life now, coaching my kids hockey teams and playing when I can, and I couldn’t do that if not for the lifesaving care I received at RVH.
A skilled care team may have performed my surgery, but it is the generosity of people like you who made that possible. Donors are the reason we have the specialized equipment, state-of-the-art procedure rooms, and expert care teams to provide advanced cardiac care to people from across our region when they need it most.
Your support will help RVH grow the regional care programs provided here, so more of our neighbours, loved ones, and friends in Simcoe Muskoka have access to world-class, specialized care close to home today, and in the future.
Kent Mannen
Grateful Patient
We are so thankful to all those who dedicate their time, energy and passion to organizing events in support of RVH. They are a vital part of the fight to end hallway medicine, shorten wait times, and keep world-class, specialized care close to home. Click below to see what is happening now across our community.
Ways to Give
Monthly Giving
By becoming a monthly donor, you will be among many generous and caring individuals dedicated to helping evolve RVH’s programs, services and vital medical equipment, closer to home.
Keep Life Wild Gear
Get ready to wear your wild and support RVH with pride. Embrace the spirit of the region, your active and healthy lifestyle, and the outdoor adventures we all love with this limited edition Keep Life Wild release.
Planned Giving
Leaving a legacy gift to RVH is a special way to make a lasting impact on the health of your community. These gifts can be made as part of your estate planning process or through a bequest in your will. By informing us of your intended gift, we are able to plan with you how you would like your funds to be used, giving you the power to define how you wish to be remembered.
Memorial Giving
By choosing to remember someone close to you with a gift to RVH, you are honouring their memory in the most meaningful way. It is an opportunity to accomplish two very significant goals at once. You are able to recognize the life of your loved one while making an investment in the future health of our community.
Little Wonders Garden
If you’ve ever been in the hospital and heard a chime over the PA system, that sound announces that a baby has just been born. Here at RVH, the birth of a baby is a special event and one that should be celebrated.
Our Little Wonders Garden offers families the opportunity to mark this special occasion by making a donation.
MY CARE Hero
A MY CARE Hero is a physician, staff member, volunteer or department that provides excellent care to each patient while also supporting that patient’s family throughout their time with RVH.
Making a donation to honour your MY CARE Hero is a way to say thank you and recognize them for the care you received.
Gift of Securities
This is a smart way to make substantial gifts, compared to cash, as it eliminates tax on the capital gain thereby maximizing return on investment and providing tax credits for use against other taxable income.
Young Philanthropists Match
For Rita and Peter Premich, watching young philanthropists in action is especially inspiring. The pair have marked more than five decades of birthdays together and to share their joy of giving with others, they created the Rita and Peter Premich Birthday Fund to match all birthday money donations to RVH up to $10,000.