When the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation received the green light in March 2024 to proceed with fundraising for an MRI in Estevan, my attitude was we had to prove we wanted it.
Sure, we had all been talking about the need for such a machine for the previous six months, since it became public that the provincial government rejected Elaine Walkom's proposed donation of $2 million, in memory of her late husband Grant, to bring MRI services to Estevan.
But it was up to us to put our money where our mouth was to the degree we were able. (Sorry for the cliché).
We've left no doubt that we want an MRI in Estevan. There's just some work remaining.
Following this year's St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation Radiothon for Life, which raised more than $250,000, the total for the campaign, named Together We Will – MRI for Estevan, stood at $5,635,695, or 87 per cent of the $6.5 million goal. The campaign has roughly $865,000 remaining.
When this campaign started, most of us knew it would eventually hit its goal, it was just a matter of how long it would take, and when the MRI would be operational. Would it take a year to hit $6.5 million? That was going to be ambitious, even with the $2 million head start. The $5.6 million in 14 months likely would have been an optimistic expectation. If we could be at $6.5 million by the end of 2025 or in time for the MRI to be included in the 2026-27 provincial budget, well, that would likely be great.
The southeast has come through with a little more than $400,000 per month since March 2024. There's the proof that we want the MRI. We haven't seen major lulls in donations. Yes, there have been times that have brought in more donations than others, but the foundation has received consistent support.
It's also not just Estevan that has stepped forward. We've seen contributions from people, businesses and municipalities throughout the southeast. It's going to be a lot easier for people throughout the region to access vital health services once the MRI is operating in Estevan.
The days of someone in Gainsborough being forced to travel more than three hours to get an MRI in Regina in January are coming to an end.
We've seen support of all kinds, whether it be the $2 million from Walkom, the $100,000 from Del Wanner that came in on May 21, the $50 and $100 donations from average citizens, or the $20 from a kid's lemonade stand. There was the $53,000 through the sale of Jaycee Ross' 4-H steer last year.
Yes, we've shown we want the MRI. Now we can't get complacent.
While $837,000 represents roughly 13 per cent of the remaining total, it's still a lot of money. It's going to take a few more months to reach the objective. It's easy to say we're going to get there, so we don't have to worry about support.
Such apathy likely isn't going to happen. The last 14 months of fundraising and the last 20 months of talk in the region have proven the deep desire we have to see this project proceed. But there's still more work to go.
Remember, when the government gave the project the fundraising go-ahead, Estevan jumped the line to get an MRI. There were other, larger communities ahead of us on the priority list whose residents could also benefit. I thought it was absurd that the government rejected Walkom's $2 million offer, but I think we all learned how much goes into bringing MRI services.
Construction is now underway on the site where the MRI building will be located. The finish line is in sight. We know that before too long, we're going to have this advanced medical equipment that will enhance care in the southeast.
And our region will be better.
