A couple from LaSalle has donated $1-million to the London Health Sciences Foundation for research.
Keith and Leanne Lavergne made the donation in support of the Division of Urology at London Health Sciences Centre.
Speaking on AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides, Keith Lavergne, a grateful patient of Dr. Alp Sener, says he wanted to give back to the care team and hospital that helped save his life after he received a kidney transplant on August 7, 2019.
He says he knew he needed to do something after everything the LHSC did for him.
"It's time to share this story and maybe we can get more people to get involved, right? Whether it's Urology like what I'm doing or whether it's something else. There are a lot of people out there that are just simply unaware of what it takes and what happens when you get a terminal illness."
He says why he felt such a need to donate the money to the foundation.
"I mean these people saved my life, it wasn't just fixing something. So to me, it's just about giving back. It's about helping the people who helped me to help more people like me, or others that need it."
He says he feels confident that the money will make a difference in research.
"It's a research donation in the amount of $1-million, we have established a research chair which is an ongoing entity for a term of 10 years of research. We do believe that there will be some incredible advancements made over that time."
The Division of Urology was established in 1954 and has played a strong role in the Department of Surgery since then.
With a staggering number of people in Canada living with kidney disease, the couple is hoping that their gift can help future patients get the exceptional care like Keith Lavergne did.