Featured Stories
Rosita Sanchez:
A special relationship with Women’s College for over 30 years
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Rosita Sanchez arrived in Canada from the Philippines during the giddy days of 1967, Canada’s centennial celebration. Although it was a big move for a single woman, she felt Canada offered more opportunity than her homeland. “In the Philippines life is not that good if you’re not rich,” she says. “And when you get sick, you have to sell or mortgage everything you own to pay for care.”
Sanchez had just $500 in her pocket when she arrived in Canada, but she was soon working in a hospital business office. A couple of years later she landed a job with IBM, where she earned her CMA certification and worked out the rest of her career. She took an early retirement package at 55, but boredom has never been a problem. “I’ve played a lot of tennis -- for me it was just like one long holiday!”
Sanchez’s family doctor was associated with Women’s College and she started seeing specialists at the hospital in the early 1970s. She underwent several procedures at Women’s College and continues to have all her specialist appointments at the hospital. When she heard about plans to merge Women’s College with Sunnybrook she decided to become a monthly donor. “I hoped that if Women’s College had more money, the merger wouldn’t take place. My gift was just a small amount but I thought that if other people did the same, it would add up.” When Women’s College became independent again in 2006, Sanchez insisted that her donations be re-directed to the hospital. More recently, she applied to have IBM match her monthly gifts. Sanchez has also made a bequest to Women’s College in her will, and special gifts in honour of cardiologist Dr. John Spears and family physician Dr. Nadia Blau. She is also an active community volunteer.
With an unbroken record of more than a decade, Sanchez is one of the longest standing monthly donors at Women’s College Hospital. “Her commitment and generosity are truly inspiring,” says Laura Gatensby, Vice President Community Giving & Stewardship. “Rosita is a reminder that we can all find a meaningful way to make a difference.”