We want to Be part of the Solution
Equipment Stories Featured Images – 1
Niagara Health Foundation donors Anna and Roman A. Groch are proud members of our Legacy Society.
“My Dad taught me that hospitals are an important part of what makes a community,” Roman says. “He always encouraged me to give back to a community that was there for him when he first came here from Ukraine at the young age of 18 with my grandmother.”
That core belief drives Roman and his family to this day, and Niagara Health Foundation is a cause close to their hearts.
“Our local hospitals have played a big role in our lives,” Roman says. “When my grandfather needed care, he was very well looked after at the Welland Hospital, and so was my dad when he had his heart attack.”
In 2006, Roman was approached to join the former Welland Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors, which gave him a new appreciation for the work that goes into supporting a local hospital system.
“Joining and then later leading the Board of Directors was really eye-opening. The very first lesson most of us on the Board learned was just how much hospitals rely on the community to fund equipment. We had a lot of wonderful organizations – the Rotary Club, which I was part of, as well as French, Italian, Croatian, Polish and Ukrainian to name a few Community Groups – that really understood that and supported the hospital.”
It also showed Roman that a perspective shift was needed, from wanting to support only your city’s hospital to supporting the regional system as a whole. “Through the years, I realized that it makes sense to have bigger hospitals that are specialized rather than small hospitals that are all stretched thin.”
After years of supporting our local hospitals as a donor and board member, Roman recently experienced firsthand the importance of having excellent care available close to home.
“You always think you’re invincible,” Roman smiles and adds that his busy lifestyle didn’t allow much room for healthy habits. “Before you knew it, I started getting kidney stones,” he explains. “It was almost like a joke to me at first, but then another one came and another one and while the first few were easy to treat, my 24th kidney stone required surgery.”
A procedure that was supposed to take an hour and a half ended up taking seven hours. “It was much worse than they had thought.”
It was an eye-opening experience for Roman. “It made me realize how glad I am that we have state-of-the-art equipment as well as well-trained medical staff here in Niagara. It is so easy to complain about things like wait times in the emergency department, but my dad always told me that you can be part of the problem or part of the solution, and Anna and I have decided to be part of the solution.”
That is why, in addition to donations throughout their lifetime, Anna and Roman have joined the Legacy Society and set up granting to the Niagara Health Foundation through Strategic CHARITABLE GIVING Foundation.
“We are a balanced family,” Roman adds. “Anna, who is a retired Pediatric Physiotherapist, has the medical background, and I am a retired CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and Certified Executor Advisor. We approach healthcare from different perspectives, but both of us believe in the importance of supporting our local hospitals.”
It is a decision that makes financial sense for their family and allows them to continue to have a positive impact on the community they love beyond their own lifetime.
“Everyone in our family will need the hospital at some point. It was there when we needed it for my grandparents, my parents, and for myself,” Roman says.
“We’re not multi-millionaires, but we would like to help because that is what it means to be part of the community.”
To the Groch family, it is a matter of pride. “I want to see Niagara have the best equipment instead of people having to go to Hamilton or Toronto for their care. It’s a good feeling to see the level of care that is provided here in Niagara and knowing that we are part of that.”
Anna and Roman encourage other people in our communities to consider how they can help our local hospital system in a way that works for them.
“For some people, that might mean setting up a $5 monthly donation, for others it might mean connecting with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® to talk about estate planning. Whatever it may be, I believe that every dollar counts.”
The money raised ultimately goes towards supporting people, they add, both patients and the medical staff for whom they feel a deep appreciation.
“From my own experiences working in the health care environment as a Physiotherapist the greatest reward has been being part of making a positive difference in someone’s life no matter how big or small. I enjoy running into former clients in the community and hearing about their progress over time as well as the gratitude they have towards those who work tirelessly in the medical system.”
Roman agrees. “Healthcare workers are superheroes to me. Watching my wife in her profession, I know what a toll this work takes mentally and emotionally. We are grateful for the support you give to families in our community – for being strong when we can’t be, for showing compassion when people are distraught, for holding the hand of a patient who has no one left. We have seen and experienced your kindness and professionalism and are so thankful for you.”
We want to Be part of the Solution
Niagara Health Foundation donors Anna and Roman A. Groch are proud members of our Legacy Society.
“My Dad taught me that hospitals are an important part of what makes a community,” Roman says. “He always encouraged me to give back to a community that was there for him when he first came here from Ukraine at the young age of 18 with my grandmother.”
That core belief drives Roman and his family to this day, and Niagara Health Foundation is a cause close to their hearts.
“Our local hospitals have played a big role in our lives,” Roman says. “When my grandfather needed care, he was very well looked after at the Welland Hospital, and so was my dad when he had his heart attack.”
In 2006, Roman was approached to join the former Welland Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors, which gave him a new appreciation for the work that goes into supporting a local hospital system.
“Joining and then later leading the Board of Directors was really eye-opening. The very first lesson most of us on the Board learned was just how much hospitals rely on the community to fund equipment. We had a lot of wonderful organizations – the Rotary Club, which I was part of, as well as French, Italian, Croatian, Polish and Ukrainian to name a few Community Groups – that really understood that and supported the hospital.”
It also showed Roman that a perspective shift was needed, from wanting to support only your city’s hospital to supporting the regional system as a whole. “Through the years, I realized that it makes sense to have bigger hospitals that are specialized rather than small hospitals that are all stretched thin.”
After years of supporting our local hospitals as a donor and board member, Roman recently experienced firsthand the importance of having excellent care available close to home.
“You always think you’re invincible,” Roman smiles and adds that his busy lifestyle didn’t allow much room for healthy habits. “Before you knew it, I started getting kidney stones,” he explains. “It was almost like a joke to me at first, but then another one came and another one and while the first few were easy to treat, my 24th kidney stone required surgery.”
A procedure that was supposed to take an hour and a half ended up taking seven hours. “It was much worse than they had thought.”
It was an eye-opening experience for Roman. “It made me realize how glad I am that we have state-of-the-art equipment as well as well-trained medical staff here in Niagara. It is so easy to complain about things like wait times in the emergency department, but my dad always told me that you can be part of the problem or part of the solution, and Anna and I have decided to be part of the solution.”
That is why, in addition to donations throughout their lifetime, Anna and Roman have joined the Legacy Society and set up granting to the Niagara Health Foundation through Strategic CHARITABLE GIVING Foundation.
“We are a balanced family,” Roman adds. “Anna, who is a retired Pediatric Physiotherapist, has the medical background, and I am a retired CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and Certified Executor Advisor. We approach healthcare from different perspectives, but both of us believe in the importance of supporting our local hospitals.”
It is a decision that makes financial sense for their family and allows them to continue to have a positive impact on the community they love beyond their own lifetime.
“Everyone in our family will need the hospital at some point. It was there when we needed it for my grandparents, my parents, and for myself,” Roman says.
“We’re not multi-millionaires, but we would like to help because that is what it means to be part of the community.”
To the Groch family, it is a matter of pride. “I want to see Niagara have the best equipment instead of people having to go to Hamilton or Toronto for their care. It’s a good feeling to see the level of care that is provided here in Niagara and knowing that we are part of that.”
Anna and Roman encourage other people in our communities to consider how they can help our local hospital system in a way that works for them.
“For some people, that might mean setting up a $5 monthly donation, for others it might mean connecting with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® to talk about estate planning. Whatever it may be, I believe that every dollar counts.”
The money raised ultimately goes towards supporting people, they add, both patients and the medical staff for whom they feel a deep appreciation.
“From my own experiences working in the health care environment as a Physiotherapist the greatest reward has been being part of making a positive difference in someone’s life no matter how big or small. I enjoy running into former clients in the community and hearing about their progress over time as well as the gratitude they have towards those who work tirelessly in the medical system.”
Roman agrees. “Healthcare workers are superheroes to me. Watching my wife in her profession, I know what a toll this work takes mentally and emotionally. We are grateful for the support you give to families in our community – for being strong when we can’t be, for showing compassion when people are distraught, for holding the hand of a patient who has no one left. We have seen and experienced your kindness and professionalism and are so thankful for you.”
