How family connections, exceptional care, and a desire to give back to Scarborough encouraged the Renaud family to step up for SHN ZOO DAY

When Leah Renaud and their family saw the announcement for the first-ever SHN ZOO DAY, they knew it was the perfect event for them.

Leah’s mom worked at SHN’s General Hospital for 34 years as a CT/Angio Technologist, and their whole family lived around the hospital for years.

“I remember my sisters and I would roam the halls of her department waiting for my mom to finish work sometimes,” Leah recalls. “It’s always been a very comforting place where everyone treats you like family. And that sense of family and compassion is evident in the care they provide.”

Leah’s dad experienced first-hand the quality care provided at SHN, having both of his hips replaced at the General Hospital. Leah also experienced the inclusive care, although in a somewhat different format.

“One of my fondest memories of the hospital is bringing my stuffed animal and they put a cast on him to show how it’s done,” Leah laughs. “I think the fact that the staff took the time to show us kids that, and make the hospital not seem like a scary place, demonstrates how much they care about their patients and the community.”

Not only does Leah’s family have a special place in their hearts for SHN, but they also have a family connection to the Toronto Zoo.

“While my mom worked at SHN for 34 years, my dad worked at the Zoo for 30 years!” says Leah. “So, when we saw the SHN ZOO DAY event, it was like a perfect match for our family. We’re huge fans of SHN’s Love, Scarborough campaign to raise money for the hospitals and this was a great way for us to get involved and give back in a way that’s meaningful to our family.”

Leah and the entire ‘Rad Renauds’ team are so excited to step up for Scarborough hospitals and support equitable healthcare through the SHN ZOO DAY event.

“I’m so proud to be from Scarborough and want to support the community that I’ve called home for so long. Our whole Scarborough community relies on our SHN hospitals, and government funding isn’t enough on its’ own to make the upgrades we desperately need and deserve. This is the spirit of Scarborough – people coming together to help each other and support our healthcare workers.”

Leah and their family are taking part in SHN ZOO DAY on June 11^th at the Toronto Zoo. All funds raised will support emerging and critical priorities across SHN’s three hospitals – Birchmount, Centenary, and General.

Learn how you can STEP UP for Scarborough hospitals at SHNZOODAY.ca!