Why I made one of the most meaningful decisions of my life

My name is Joseph Gunning. I’m nearly 80 years old, and I grew up in a family of 11 in Alberta. I’ve spent most of my life working hard and doing my best to do right by people. I’ve been a farmer, a furnace repairman and, for many years now, a supporter of the Stollery.

And after all these years, I want to tell you why I made one of the most meaningful decisions of my life.

It started with my daughter.

In 1986, my daughter was struck by a vehicle and suffered a serious brain injury. In an instant, everything changed. We were living in Peace River at the time, which is about 500 kilometres from Edmonton. Suddenly, I was making that long drive every week, back and forth, trying to keep my business running and my family together.

I won’t pretend it was easy. I was working 20-hour days at the time. The worry never left me. But at the children’s hospital in Edmonton there was something that made it possible to breathe. The care. And not just any care. Exceptional, attentive, human care. I couldn’t always tell you the names of the doctors and nurses — my mind was too full — but I felt what they gave us. I felt it deeply.

The road back was long, and there were days I didn’t know which way it would go. But the Stollery stayed with us — and slowly, steadily, so did she. Thankfully, my daughter recovered. Many years passed.

And then, nine months ago, my great-grandson was born in Peace River with unexpected complications. And there was the Stollery again — on the end of the phone, sending help up to our community, caring for a brand-new life the way they once helped save my daughter’s.

Two generations of my family. The same hospital. The same dedication. That’s when it really settled in for me: I’m on board with the Stollery. No matter what.

Not long ago, I started thinking differently about what I could leave behind. I had a life insurance policy I’d been holding onto for years. And one day I thought: why not put it where it could do the most good?

So first I spoke to my daughter, then my financial advisor. I made sure my Will was in order and included the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation in it.

By doing that, I joined the Great Bear Society — a group of supporters who believe, like I do, that the Stollery needs to be here not just today, but for every family who will need it long after we’re gone. For thousands of years, the Great Bear constellation has guided people through darkness. I like to think that’s what we do as members.

Setting it up wasn’t complicated. It just felt right.

And it makes me feel good when I think about what the Stollery could do with more money behind the Individual rooms for every child, innovative new therapies, the little touches that make a hospital room a bit less scary. It helps these kids who already give everything they’ve got.

I know a lot of people think that leaving a gift in your Will is something only wealthy people do – or that it’s complicated. I’m here to tell you that’s not true — and I’m proof of it.

If you’ve been supporting the Stollery for years, chances are you already believe what I believe: that children deserve the best possible care. That families shouldn’t face the worst moments of their lives alone. And that we’re responsible for leaving things a little better than we found them. A gift in your Will is an ideal way of ensuring the Stollery is there for the next family. And the one after that.

For me, giving isn’t about wealth. It’s about living my values.

After your family is taken care of, you can designate a percentage of your estate to the Foundation. It’s just a discussion with your loved ones, lawyer and financial advisor. And it’s more straightforward than most people expect.

I don’t know exactly what’s ahead for either of us. But I know this: the Stollery will keep showing up for families who need it. And people like you and me — we’re the reason it can.