Community Letter
Maxine Forrester
Dear Maxine,
Some people come to the Royal Alexandra Hospital through their work. Many others through the birth of a child, the illness of a loved one, or their own frightening health challenges. It seems you have experienced all of these and more.
When I learned more about your connection to the Royal Alex, I was struck by how many chapters of your life have been touched by this hospital. Your mother graduated from the School of Nursing at “the Alec” in the 1940s, both of your children were born here and, in 2019, when you faced a lung cancer diagnosis that would change your life, it was here that you received the care that helped carry you through.
You wrote so warmly about Dr. Ken Stewart, Dr. Laing, and the many healthcare professionals who supported you throughout your treatment and recovery. Reading your words, one thing becomes immediately clear: your gratitude has never faded. You describe yourself as living and breathing because of their skill, dedication, and compassion.
It is so wonderful to hear that nearly seven years later, you are cancer-free.
As someone whose own family has deep ties to the Royal Alex, I can’t help but feel connected to you. My mother and I were both born here, my wife and I welcomed both of our daughters into the world at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, and lung cancer also touched my family, taking my grandfather from us when I was a teenager. While you and I may never have met, I am genuinely glad that your story has had a different ending.
“I took her pin to the hospital with me when I had my lung surgery. It was a frightening time and it gave me comfort knowing that a piece of her was with me.”
~ Maxine Forrester
Hospitals become part of our family’s stories—our milestones, our heartbreaks, and celebrations. They also inspire people to give back. I know I didn’t become a monthly donor until after my first daughter was born and we felt that level of care firsthand. I suspect your gift came from a similar place: a desire to honour the care you received and help make that same excellence in treatment and compassion possible for future patients and families.
Maxine, thank you for sharing your story and for choosing to support the hospital that has meant so much to you and your family. We see you, we appreciate you, and we wish you continued health and happiness in the years ahead.
With Gratitude,
Director of Communications (and self-confessed over-sharer)