A LEGACY OF STRENGTH AND HOPE: ROMANA’S STORY

For Romana Rogoshewska, committing to a planned gift after she passes away is a simple way of thanking the JGH for the care she was given and the chance at a new life. She is committed to leaving a legacy of healing and hope.

Romana is a gifted painter and has lived a vibrant and meaningful life. She has a PhD, worked as a linguist with the UN, and survived myasthenia gravis as a child. Her journey with the JGH began even before her colorectal cancer diagnosis – and it left a deep impression.

In 2019, Romana visited the Emergency Department at another hospital for a possible fracture. During that visit, doctors discovered a mass on her ovaries, and due to the complexity of her needs, they transferred her to the JGH – renowned worldwide for its cancer expertise and compassionate care.

“The team at the JGH monitored me closely, and thankfully, the mass was benign,” Romana recalls. “Their care and attention were extraordinary.”

That experience stayed with her. So, when she noticed blood in her stool in 2023, she turned once again to the JGH, where an MRI revealed a colorectal tumour.

What followed were months filled with scans, colonoscopies, and long periods of waiting. During that time, Romana leaned on two powerful sources of strength: her art and what she lovingly calls her “Dream Team” at the JGH.

As she painted through uncertainty, she created calming abstract works, many of which now hang in the Segal Cancer Centre and Radiation Oncology Department.

As Romana’s journey with colorectal cancer progressed, Dr. Allison Pang at the JGH shared difficult news: the tumour had grown. Romana agreed to a specialized procedure called brachytherapy, a precise internal radiation treatment, led by internationally renowned expert Dr. Té Vuong. It was a turning point in her care.

Following brachytherapy, Romana underwent surgery. As she was wheeled into the operating room, she felt like she was stepping through a gate between two lives.

“I saw the surgical team standing like guards overseeing the threshold,” she said. “I didn’t know if they were carrying me into a new life or guiding me back to the one I loved.”

Thankfully, after two surgeries, today, Romana is in full remission. Today, it energizes her to see patients and families in the waiting rooms looking at her peaceful abstracts while awaiting therapy. She feels she can understand their anxiety and fear of the unknown and wishes she could reassure them: this too shall pass.

Deeply grateful for the care she received, Romana made a powerful decision – to leave a planned gift to the JGH.

Romana’s gift is far more than a simple act of gratitude. It is a profound expression of hope, compassion, and a commitment to the future. Through a planned gift in her estate, she has chosen to make a lasting impact that will take effect after her lifetime. It’s her way of reaching beyond her own experience to touch the lives of patients she may never meet, ensuring they receive the same life-saving care that made all the difference in her journey.

Like Romana, you can leave a legacy of hope. No matter the size, your planned gift inspires compassion, care, and courage for generations to come. Together, let’s create a future with more tomorrows for patients at the JGH and beyond.

“I feel it’s a moral obligation for those who are able to give back to commit to a good cause,” Romana said. “I can’t think of a better one.”