“My favourite fundraising initiative is our Gifts of Gratitude Program,” says Payal. “Fundraising for me is all about community, and Gifts of Gratitude is really rooted in amazing 1:1 care.”

Since this interview was published, Payal has made a career change. We wish her all the best and hope you enjoy her interview!

Tell us a little about yourself!

Hi, my name is Payal Arora and I’m the Donor Relations Coordinator at Humber River Hospital Foundation! I’ve been at Humber for about a year and a half.

In one sentence, how would you explain your job to a friend?

Stewardship and donor relations is all about building relationships with donors and helping them feel recognized for their contributions to the Hospital.

What makes you passionate about Humber River Hospital?

I’m proud to work at the most digital hospital in North America! Humber is moving fast with the times. We value adopting the technologies and practices that minimize error and improve patient outcomes. This is the future of healthcare.

Our Robotic Surgery Program is at the forefront of surgical innovation. Technologies like the da Vinci Surgical Robot are allowing our surgeons to perform complex, minimally invasive surgeries with less pain and recovery time for our patients. Last year we hosted a Surgical Innovation Showcase where we brought the robots down to the ground level of the Hospital to show our donors what the robots can do!

“I’m proud to work at the most digital hospital in North America!” says Payal. “We value adopting the technologies and practices that minimize error and improve patient outcomes. This is the future of healthcare.”

Do you have a favourite fundraising initiative?

I have to say Gifts of Gratitude! Fundraising for me is all about community, and Gifts of Gratitude is really rooted in amazing 1:1 care.

When a grateful patient or family member makes a donation in honour of a nurse, doctor, staff member who went above and beyond in providing care, that person receives a special recognition pin from us & personalized card from the donor, and the donation helps future patients receive great care.

I joined the team at Humber during the pandemic, a time when recognizing healthcare workers has been more important than ever. And I’ve gotten to see first-hand the way people’s faces light up when they read the notes from their patients.

Is there a Program of Care that you are particularly passionate about?

I’m passionate about our Mental Health & Addictions Program because I have friends and family who have needed mental health support in the past.

We receive a lot of Gifts of Gratitude for our Mental Health Program. It just goes to show how meaningful access to mental health care is for our patients and their families.

“As I got to the top of the Stawamus Chief, it was all worth it,” says Payal. “I was in the middle of the clouds looking out over the mountains and water. It was the best view I have ever seen.

What is something awesome you’ve done in the past year?

The last year has been pretty adventurous! I took my first-ever solo trip to Vancouver. I’ve been talking about taking a solo trip for a long time. Then last spring, I was sitting on my bed and found cheap tickets for Thanksgiving weekend and just booked it!

I was nervous because I had never been to another province in Canada. My trip was four days and I had the best time!

The highlight for me was a hike I did in Squamish, the Stawamus Chief. I’m not a hiking person. I didn’t know it was that hard! Within the first 30 minutes I was exhausted. It’s so steep and all stairs, and I had a hundred things on my agenda for the day. I was about to give up when I ran into a family who convinced me to keep going. It took 2.5 hours to reach the top (a climb that included ladders and chains!) but they were right; as soon as I got to the top it was all worth it. I was in the middle of the clouds looking out over the mountains and water. It was the best view I have ever seen.

What inspires you?

Quality time is my love language – So I’ll take every opportunity I can get to spend time with my family, friends, and cousins. I’m inspired by something different in each of them, and try to emulate those qualities every day of my life.