General News
27 February, 2023
Joyce’s generous million-dollar legacy
JOYCE Swinton just keeps on giving and her latest $250,000 donation to the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation has now topped over $1 million.
This week the 92-year-old handed over $250,000 to the region’s Cancer Care Hub with her generosity totalling $1.2m to cancer services through the foundation, as well as cardiology and a training ultrasound simulator.
The nonagenarian has been personally touched by cancer, having lost her husband, daughter and son-in-law to this disease, which is why she is supporting the appeal.
Mrs Swinton said she didn’t need the money and preferred to see it used for the benefit of the community.
“It was very important to my daughter and therefore to me, that the money she left goes towards helping local people,” she said.
The Westcourt resident, who lives a very simple life, said the donations were her way of paying forward the money her daughter bequeathed to her.
She has personally had to travel to Townsville for medical treatment and feels it is important for people to have health care close to home, as much as possible.
Foundation chief executive Gina Hogan paid special tribute to Mrs Swinton and called her a hero of the region.
“What she has done for future generations is truly incredible and an amazing legacy for which we will be eternally grateful,” she said.
The foundation’s Cancer Care Hub $1.5m campaign is gathering steam with almost a quarter of the funds needed, already raised.
Taking patient care to the next level is the catch-cry of the campaign, which will mean less cancer patients have to travel south for treatment, more will live longer with cancer as new treatments are discovered, more can be treated each day, chemotherapy manufacturing will be expanded on site and inpatients will have a more peaceful treatment experience.
“There has been a 40 per cent increase in cancer activity at the Liz Plummer Cancer Care Centre in the past five years.
“This is primarily because of the vast array of cancer treatments now available – people are living longer with cancer rather than dying prematurely,” Mrs Hogan said.
