Âé¶čAV General Hospital (KGH) has just received its largest single donation ever.
Local philanthropist Tom Budd has donated $1 million to KGH, specifically to the Payton & Dillon Budd Brain Health Medical Fund, named after Buddâs sons, who both died after struggling with mental health issues.
âIt is time to take action,â said Budd. âI am trying to live a life that my sons would be proud of.â
The Payton & Dillon Budd Brain Health Medical Fund is dedicated to advancing brain health care in Âé¶čAV.
âMy boys were deeply loved,â said Budd. âThis gift, and every philanthropic commitment I have made or will ever make, is an expression of my enduring love for them, and the compassion I feel for all others who have lost a child or loved one to mental health challenges or neurological brain disorder.â
The decision to donate also stems from Buddâs mother, who has Parkinsonâs disease and dementia.
âIt is an area of health care that is vitally important,â said Allison Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation. âMental illness and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsonâs, ALS, Alzheimerâs and dementia are devastating to those who are suffering, and their families.â
According to Young, the Payton & Dillon Budd Brain Health Medical Fund will provide awards and grants enabling neurologists to engage in projects and studies that aim to provide a greater understanding of how the brain works to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the brain.
Since the KGH Foundation launched its $40 million âCloser to home than you thinkâ campaign, they included a $5 million commitment to establish a Centre of Excellence for Brain Health â a hub for training, research, innovation, and leadership development in the clinical neurosciences at KGH.
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jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
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