“My beloved wife Thelma started giving to Humber after being a patient here,” remembers Carl. “Over the years, Humber became one of our most cherished charities.”

“I like to imagine that Thelma is here, greeting the patients,” says Carl, standing beside Thelma’s Healing Gardens signage. “And when a family member needs to step outside for a breath of fresh air or to say a prayer, Thelma is watching over them.”

When Thelma passed away from cancer, Carl thought about what she would have liked and decided to donate to Humber River Hospital Foundation to help build the Healing Gardens at the North side of the building. Today, that garden runs the whole length of the Hospital.

“I like to imagine that Thelma is here, greeting the patients,” says Carl. “And when a family member needs to step outside for a breath of fresh air or to say a prayer, Thelma is watching over them.”

Carl and Thelma had made the decision together to leave Humber in their Will, making them part of Humber River Hospital Foundation’s Aspen Grove Society. As a donor, Carl is kept informed about everything happening at the Hospital.

“Our Will represents what we have valued most in our whole life, and this Hospital is a part of our story. I absolutely trust the Hospital to spend our gift on what they need most at the time,” he says.

Carl is proud of the way he chose to honour Thelma’s memory.

“I like to imagine that she’s looking down on the Healing Garden and thinking, ‘Well, Carl finally did something worthwhile’,” he says.

To learn more about the Aspen Grove Society, click here.