Stefano’s Stories: A lifetime of caring continues

May 2026

At the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, I have the privilege of witnessing extraordinary generosity every day. Families, health care teams, volunteers, and community members come together to support the best care possible for our kids.

There are many ways donors help continue caring for kids in our community including legacy gifts. May is Leave a Legacy Month – a time to reflect and plan how you can make an impact in our community. 

Legacy gifts—those made through a will or estate plan—are acts of profound foresight and compassion. They reflect a donor’s values, life experiences, and hopes for the future. They are often deeply personal, and they ensure care continues not just today or tomorrow but for generations to come.

One such gift came from Sharon Torgerson, a devoted mother, wife, daughter, and nurse, and a proud graduate at our very own School of Nursing. Sharon believed strongly in sharing what she had. Her decision to leave a legacy gift to support child health care reflects her character and her belief in a hospital dedicated entirely to children. Through her generosity, Sharon’s compassion continues every day at Manitoba’s only children’s hospital.

Legacy gifts like Sharon’s provide stability by supporting leading-edge equipment and technology, programs that provide comfort during difficult times, innovative spaces to provide comfort during healing and world-class research at Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM).

These gifts help ensure when a child in Manitoba needs specialized care, it is available—right here, close to home. They also send a powerful message: our children matter, now and always. Children are our future.

Every legacy gift, regardless of amount, contributes to a future where children receive the best care possible thanks to our compassionate community. For many donors, it is a way to align their life story with a cause that reflects their deepest values.

“She would be happy to know that the donation will be used to help and support children and families in need right here in her own beloved city of Winnipeg,” says Sharon’s husband, Glen.

Sharon’s family is incredibly proud of her decision to leave a legacy gift to the Foundation and hope her story inspires others to do the same.

Including Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba to your estate planning is a powerful way to reflect your belief in hope and healing. These gifts can also offer tax benefits, so now is a great time to start a discussion with your financial planner about what’s right for you.

Thanks to donors like Sharon, care continues. Hope continues. And the circle of compassion remains unbroken.

Together, we are building a future where every child has the chance to heal, grow, and thrive.

To explore how your legacy can #ContinueCaringForKids, contact Lindsay Rayter, Manager, Philanthropy, at lrayter@goodbear.ca.