Kevin
When Kevin’s dog began spending more and more time with him, he started wondering if his cancer might be back. “I am friends with Temple Grandin, an animal behaviourist, and have learned a lot from her over the years,” Kevin explains. “I knew something wasn’t right.”
“In 2018, I needed a surgery after my gastroenterologist saw something unusual on my liver. They were not sure what it was, but when they went in to remove it, they saw that it was cancer and had to remove part of my liver as well as my gallbladder.” Thankfully, no further treatment was required at the time, but Kevin continued regular check-ups with his oncologist, Dr. Yelamanchili and then with his family doctor. “I was cancer-free until 2023, when I noticed my dog’s behaviour changing. I had just had my usual round of tests, bloodwork and such, and everything had come back clean,” Kevin says, “but I didn’t have symptoms the first time I had cancer; that doesn’t always mean you’re okay.”
Kevin went through possible scenarios in his head and it occurred to him that they had not checked his PSA levels (prostate-specific antigen) in a while. An abnormal rise in PSA levels can indicate prostate cancer. “My family doctor ordered the test and sure enough, my levels were high and a biopsy confirmed that it was cancer,” Kevin remembers. His cancer was treated with radiation and he was grateful for his Radiation Oncologist Dr. Eric Nguyen. “He was so efficient and caring.”
Today, Kevin feels great and continues to check in with his oncologist Dr. Wasserman every few months. “Dr. Wasserman is also a wonderful caregiver,” says Kevin, who made a Gift of Gratitude in honour of the treatment he received at the Walker Family Cancer Centre.
“One of the principles at my last corporate job as Vice President was that good performers will be rewarded, and that is how I think of philanthropy as well,” Kevin explains about his decision to donate to the Niagara Health Foundation. “I see the great work the healthcare workers are doing at Niagara Health and I want to reward them for that work.” Another team member who stood out to Kevin is Heather, one of Niagara Health’s Technologists in Diagnostic Imaging. “I have needed many CT scans over the past years and Heather is exceptional. She is the epitome of the type of person that you want working at a hospital, so I honoured her with a donation as well.”
“People are always blaming circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and, if they cannot find them, they make them.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
Kevin has also made the generous decision to join the Niagara Health Foundation Legacy Society and is leaving a gift to the Niagara Health Foundation in his Will. “One of my favourite quotes is by George Bernard Shaw: “People are always blaming circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and, if they cannot find them, they make them.” That is how I have lived my life. A quote like this can be a beacon that keeps you on the right path for a lifetime.”
Including Niagara Health Foundation in his estate plan is one of the ways Kevin creates the right circumstances. “I am limited in what I can give now because you just never know what is going to happen, but a Legacy Gift is something I can commit to. I have talked to my wife about it to ensure she knows my intentions.”
For now, Kevin hopes that day is still far away, and he enjoys his beautiful garden and painting. “One of the other ways I support Niagara Health is through my art,” Kevin says, and adds that he has donated several paintings to the hospital. “I myself am very good at handling stress, but when I was going through radiation, I could see individuals who were facing an enormous amount of unknown, and that it was creating tremendous anxiety for them.”
What I’m hoping is that maybe when they’re looking at an ocean scene in the Walker Family Cancer Centre, or when the kids in the Children’s Health Unit look at my painting of a lion cub, that it takes their minds off of everything, even if just for a few minutes. Maybe, for a brief moment, it can shift the patient’s mindset.”
We are deeply grateful for Kevin’s support of our local hospitals. He has changed the world in many ways over the course of his life, and he believes other people can, too. “Often it’s little things that can have a really big impact. It’s simple,” he says. “You just do the right thing.”
Kevin
When Kevin’s dog began spending more and more time with him, he started wondering if his cancer might be back. “I am friends with Temple Grandin, an animal behaviourist, and have learned a lot from her over the years,” Kevin explains. “I knew something wasn’t right.”
“In 2018, I needed a surgery after my gastroenterologist saw something unusual on my liver. They were not sure what it was, but when they went in to remove it, they saw that it was cancer and had to remove part of my liver as well as my gallbladder.” Thankfully, no further treatment was required at the time, but Kevin continued regular check-ups with his oncologist, Dr. Yelamanchili and then with his family doctor. “I was cancer-free until 2023, when I noticed my dog’s behaviour changing. I had just had my usual round of tests, bloodwork and such, and everything had come back clean,” Kevin says, “but I didn’t have symptoms the first time I had cancer; that doesn’t always mean you’re okay.”
Kevin went through possible scenarios in his head and it occurred to him that they had not checked his PSA levels (prostate-specific antigen) in a while. An abnormal rise in PSA levels can indicate prostate cancer. “My family doctor ordered the test and sure enough, my levels were high and a biopsy confirmed that it was cancer,” Kevin remembers. His cancer was treated with radiation and he was grateful for his Radiation Oncologist Dr. Eric Nguyen. “He was so efficient and caring.”
Today, Kevin feels great and continues to check in with his oncologist Dr. Wasserman every few months. “Dr. Wasserman is also a wonderful caregiver,” says Kevin, who made a Gift of Gratitude in honour of the treatment he received at the Walker Family Cancer Centre.
“One of the principles at my last corporate job as Vice President was that good performers will be rewarded, and that is how I think of philanthropy as well,” Kevin explains about his decision to donate to the Niagara Health Foundation. “I see the great work the healthcare workers are doing at Niagara Health and I want to reward them for that work.” Another team member who stood out to Kevin is Heather, one of Niagara Health’s Technologists in Diagnostic Imaging. “I have needed many CT scans over the past years and Heather is exceptional. She is the epitome of the type of person that you want working at a hospital, so I honoured her with a donation as well.”
“People are always blaming circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and, if they cannot find them, they make them.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
Kevin has also made the generous decision to join the Niagara Health Foundation Legacy Society and is leaving a gift to the Niagara Health Foundation in his Will. “One of my favourite quotes is by George Bernard Shaw: “People are always blaming circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and, if they cannot find them, they make them.” That is how I have lived my life. A quote like this can be a beacon that keeps you on the right path for a lifetime.”
Including Niagara Health Foundation in his estate plan is one of the ways Kevin creates the right circumstances. “I am limited in what I can give now because you just never know what is going to happen, but a Legacy Gift is something I can commit to. I have talked to my wife about it to ensure she knows my intentions.”
For now, Kevin hopes that day is still far away, and he enjoys his beautiful garden and painting. “One of the other ways I support Niagara Health is through my art,” Kevin says, and adds that he has donated several paintings to the hospital. “I myself am very good at handling stress, but when I was going through radiation, I could see individuals who were facing an enormous amount of unknown, and that it was creating tremendous anxiety for them.”
What I’m hoping is that maybe when they’re looking at an ocean scene in the Walker Family Cancer Centre, or when the kids in the Children’s Health Unit look at my painting of a lion cub, that it takes their minds off of everything, even if just for a few minutes. Maybe, for a brief moment, it can shift the patient’s mindset.”
We are deeply grateful for Kevin’s support of our local hospitals. He has changed the world in many ways over the course of his life, and he believes other people can, too. “Often it’s little things that can have a really big impact. It’s simple,” he says. “You just do the right thing.”
