When Agnes Villeneuve thinks about leaving a legacy, she doesn’t think of buildings or plaques—she thinks of people. Specifically, one person: Dr. Tim Devlin, the physician whose compassion during her husband Daniel’s final days inspired her to leave a gift to SHN in her Will.

Daniel was living with Liposarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the fat cells, and had been receiving treatment across several Toronto hospitals. But it wasn’t until a sudden fall and seizure at home brought him to Scarborough General Hospital that Agnes witnessed what she calls “true care.”‍

Finding True Care

‍What began as an emergency visit quickly became a turning point in Daniel’s health journey. A CT scan revealed the cancer had spread to his brain, and he was moved to the third-floor unit at the General Hospital. That’s where Agnes met Dr. Devlin.

“Dr. Devlin came by and told me my husband was not going home,” she says. “But he also gave us our last days together in peace. We were no longer on our own; we had medical professionals close by.”

After many experiences at other hospitals, Agnes found something different at SHN: kindness without compromise. “The reason I put SHN in our Will,” she explains, “is because one human truly showed us kindness, compassion, and humanity.”

A Legacy of Compassion

‍From the moment Daniel was admitted, the staff on the third floor and the palliative care team provided comfort, dignity, and peace during their most difficult days.

“If you don’t look after the dying, who’s going to look after you?” Agnes asks. “Quality of life is more important than simply keeping someone alive—and SHN understands that.”

Leaving a Gift for Future Generations‍

Agnes and Daniel’s planned gift will support palliative care at Scarborough hospitals. Their decision perfectly reflects the spirit of Leave a Legacy Month: ordinary people making an extraordinary difference for future generations.

For Agnes, that means ensuring other families receive the same compassion she and Daniel experienced. Though Daniel is gone, his name will live on alongside Agnes’s through this bequest.

Because of donors like Agnes, SHN can continue to expand its palliative care services, bringing dignity, comfort, and humanity to the countless other patients who rely on Scarborough hospitals.

This May, we celebrate everyone who chooses to remember SHN in their estate plans. Your legacy—like Agnes’s and Daniel’s—will touch lives long after today.