News & stories, Love Lives On
March 2024
A thoughtful gift with a lasting impact
"You get excellent care at the Regional. My husband got nothing but the best care all the way. They supported me well and I will continue to support them. I may need their services, I may not – but somebody will."
-Eileen Boyd, retired staff member and legacy donor
West Saint John has been home to Eileen Boyd for nearly all of her 87 years. But you could call Saint John Regional Hospital her home away from home.
Eileen began a rewarding career at the Old General Hospital in 1954, moving to the Regional when it opened in 1982. She started as an X-ray technician and worked her way to management positions in oncology before her retirement. “I loved it so much,” she laughs, “that I was NOT happy to reach retirement age!”
Eileen learned first-hand what a vital role donor support plays in providing first-class healthcare to our community when she worked on her department’s budget at the hospital. That’s when she became a dedicated monthly donor.
She realized that no matter the size, every gift makes an impact. “We really need to contribute because the government can only do so much,” Eileen explains. “Anything I give goes right back into the care and machinery that keeps people healthy.”
Around the same time, Eileen’s husband began relying on the Regional for serious medical care. She spent quite a few years at her beloved husband’s side as complications from multiple sclerosis (MS) caused his health to deteriorate.
Sadly, he eventually passed away. Through her heartbreak, Eileen is proud to share that he left a gift to Saint John Regional Health Foundation in his will. She finds comfort knowing her soulmate lives on through the impact he made with his last act of kindness. And that kindness will continue to be felt broadly in the community.
Eileen is grateful for the compassionate care she and her husband received throughout their long journey. “As heartbreaking as it was, the teams made us feel like we were never alone.” Local care and kindness delivered only a way that only the Regional could.
Eileen saw firsthand the difference her monthly donations made during her career and has continued giving annually to the Foundation since retirement. As she thought about the advances she’s seen at the Regional through the years, she realized how critical it is to stay focused on the future.
That’s why Eileen is leaving a gift in her will to the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation. “The need is going to continue long after I’m gone, and I want to know that as new things emerge, we can bring the latest technology, or equipment, or the best people, here to Saint John.”