About
Founded by a private donor in 2021, the Stem Cell Patient Fund is a legacy endowment of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. The Fund provides permanent, reliable, and sustainable financial support to patients receiving care from The Ottawa Hospital’s Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program.
Approximately 40% of the patients are from outside the Ottawa region, and travel from various regions of Canada to receive their stem cell transplant. Due to this they face significant out-of-pocket expenses that are not considered as direct costs of care, and that are not covered by public health care plans. Some examples of these costs include travel to and from Ottawa, long-term accommodations in Ottawa while recuperating, high-quality nutrition, cleaning services, local transportation, access to equipment, as well as continuation of day-to-day financial obligations at home. These personal expenses can exceed $20,000 per patient.
The Stem Cell Patient Fund perpetually generates 3.5% in investment returns annually. These returns provide direct financial support to patients in need.
Your financial gift grows The Stem Cell Patient Fund’s capital and is part of the Fund perpetually.
Why Donate to the Stem Cell Patient Fund?
Patients from all regions of Canada come to The Ottawa Hospital to receive life-saving stem cell transplants. However, they face therapy-related personal costs of up to $20,000. These can be prohibitive for many. Help patients access the cure to their life-threatening illnesses. Your gift will support the stem cell patient community perpetually, as the Stem Cell Patient Fund is a permanent endowment of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
Four Ways to Give
The Ottawa Hospital Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program
Since the onset of stem cell therapy at The Ottawa Hospital in 1981, over 3,500 transplants have been performed at the institution. The Program treats patients affected by chronic and acute forms of leukemia, aplastic anemia, myelodysplasia, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, some forms of multiple sclerosis, and wide-ranging autoimmune illnesses.
What People are Saying About the Stem Cell Patient Fund
The establishment of the TOH Foundation, Stem Cell Patient Fund will improve the patient experience and facilitate some patients receiving care who may not otherwise have been able to come to Ottawa for potentially life-saving treatment.
In the chaotic and uncertain world that patients live in, having the Stem Cell Patient Fund there to assist with some expenses takes an immense load of stress off their shoulders, which ultimately allows them to focus on treatment and recovery. For a patient, being provided with some financial assistance can provide a sense of community when they feel alone, security when they are scared, and ease when they are overwhelmed.
Stem cell transplants and CAR T-cell therapies are key cancer treatments for many patients who have been diagnosed with blood-related cancers or other diseases. These complex treatments are provided by an incredibly dedicated team of healthcare professionals who are “in it for the long haul”, just like their patients, seeking for a way to cure or control their disease. Signing up for such treatment involves months of focused care, and our publicly funded system can’t tackle the full burden this has on patients and their families. That’s why philanthropic efforts like this one, the Stem Cell Patient Fund, are so important to provide some financial respite, comfort and care when it matters most. With this fund, our exceptional team has been able to alleviate some of the concerns stem cell and CAR T-cell therapy recipients have and make this experience manageable for them and their loved ones.
