Canadian entrepreneur and former member of CBC’s The Dragon’s Den, W. Brett Wilson, recently donated $100,000 to Toronto East General Hospital’s Regional Robotic Surgical and Teaching Program, and is issuing a challenge to others to match it.
Wilson, himself a prostate cancer survivor, was in the Beach with his sons for a volleyball tournament five years after receiving radiation. He was suddenly struck with a condition called radiation-induced renal cystitis, a rare condition affecting his bladder and kidneys. He recalled that he jumped immediately into his car, punched in ‘nearest hospitals’ on his GPS and was glad to find that Toronto East General Hospital was just up the road. He was treated successfully. When the idea of donating towards the care and treatment of prostate cancer, TEGH immediately came to mind.
“I am certainly aware of how differently Toronto East General Hospital is treated compared to hospitals downtown,” Wilson said. “I spoke to Michael Burns, Chair of the TEGH Foundation, and told him I wanted to do something meaningful to help them.” Wilson had already heard of TEGH’s acquisition of the revolutionary da Vinci System, known as ‘the Robot’, and is excited to help with that program. This device is the “way of the future” when it comes to minimally invasive surgery, not only making recovery time shorter for patients, but “less stressful for the surgeons.” Wilson is hoping that his campaign will raise $1 million to further advance this program, making TEGH a leader in the care and treatment of prostate cancer.
Those wishing to join Wilson in support of TEGH should contact the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation at 416-469-6003, or visit foundation.tegh.on.ca.
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