Everything Humanly Possible: The Campaign for Toronto Rehab

Partners key to campaign success
The Toronto Rehab Foundation’s Everything Humanly Possible: The Campaign for Toronto Rehab, moved into high gear in October 2007 with a media launch for the public phase of the Campaign to close the gap on the remaining $14 million that needs to be raised to reach our $60 million target.

We took this opportunity to acknowledge the 170 corporate, foundation and individual donors who stepped forward at all levels during the Campaign’s quiet phase. Through their immense generosity, these donors continue to play a significant partnership role in helping us to realize Toronto Rehab’s vision to advance rehabilitation and enhance quality of life.

This year, our Campaign reached new heights with a visionary $5 million gift from philanthropist Judith R. (Billie) Wilder, whose family connection with our E.W. Bickle Centre for Complex Continuing Care spans more than 70 years. The former Queen Elizabeth Centre was appropriately renamed after Mrs. Wilder’s father, E.W. Bickle, who served for many years on the former Dunn Avenue site’s Board of Directors.

Funds from the Campaign are already hard at work supporting initiatives to improve patient care through redevelopment, research and education. Among them are capital redevelopment projects at University Centre, Lyndhurst Centre and the E.W. Bickle Centre for Complex Continuing Care.

Vital research led by Dr. Douglas Bradley in our Sleep Research Laboratory is exploring the links between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease.  Monies are being raised to help develop improved screening, diagnostic and treatment techniques for those suffering from sleep apnea.

Foundation funding is helping expedite the development of improved facilities, methods, technologies and rehabilitation programs for patients in the Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Program at Lyndhurst Centre. Driving our fundraising efforts are enhanced outpatient services and the continued exploration of smart technology research and assistive devices that will allow individuals with spinal cord injuries to live more independently and in their homes with dignity drive our fundraising efforts.  On March 8, 2008, Globe & Mail columnist Christie Blatchford featured our initiative to name the lobby at Lyndhurst Centre after Lyndhurst co-founder John Counsell.

We are also helping to enhance consumer participation in research by attracting, training and supporting graduate students with disabilities to become scientists themselves. The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Scholarship in Rehabilitation-related Research — believed to be the first of its kind in Canada — has been made possible by the generosity of the TD Bank Financial Group. 
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