A Windsor man's legacy will live on after the community came together to raise more than $18,000 in his honour.
Brian Bacon was born with underdeveloped kidneys and had been on and off dialysis his entire life, making him a regular in the Renal Dialysis Unit at Windsor Regional Hospital.
His condition had calcified his arteries, depriving him of the use of his hands and causing intense pain in recent months.
He underwent dialysis five days a week to prolong his life and felt the entertainment could be improved, so he vowed to raise money for new TV's when he recovered.
Sadly, the 40 year old lost his battle on Aug. 20, but Director of Philanthropy Gisele Seguin says friends and family took on the cause in his memory.
"He was passionate about that and interestingly enough people have honoured his memory and are supporting our renal program at the hospital and it's really amazing," she says.
Seguin says he wanted to reduce discomfort for others in any way he could.
"He was frustrated with outdated TV system, that was his main priority, but he also wanted to see a lot of things that add comfort for patients that are there for many hours receiving treatment regularly," she added.
The province does fund required treatments, but Seguin admits cash for items that aren't deemed medically essential comes from people like Brian who want to make a difference.
"Chairs for instance in the renal program are super important. If you're going to sit in a chair for six to eight hours receiving treatment, you want it to be comfortable and have all of the latest and best technology," says Seguin.
Having benefited from three kidney transplants, Bacon also volunteered with organ donation programs throughout Windsor-Essex.
Cash donations are still being accepted in his name via the hospital's website.