Jeannie and Rod Senft donated $5-million to Vancouver General Hospital and the UBC Hospital Foundation as part of a $35-million campaign to fund research, clinical care and education across urologic sciences.Supplied
The organizers: Rod and Jeannie Senft
The pitch: Donating $5-million
The cause: VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation
Rod Senft was 61 years old when doctors in Vancouver told him he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer and faced a grim prognosis.
“They told me I had three to five years to live and I should get my affairs in order,” recalled Mr. Senft who co-founded three Vancouver-based private equity firms; Tricor Pacific Capital, Founder’s Group of Food Companies, and Pender West Capital Partners. “I didn’t think I was going to see my children get married or my grandchildren.”
That was back in 2007 and Mr. Senft, now 76, credits the life-saving treatment he received at Vancouver General Hospital, which included surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and operations to remove his lymph nodes.
Mr. Senft’s diagnosis affected his entire family and over the years his wife, Jeannie, and their three children have become actively involved in raising awareness about the importance of early detection. Mr. and Ms. Senft became involved in a charity golf tournament and in 2011 their son, Riley, who is now a doctor, ran across Canada and raised more than $1-million for the Vancouver Prostate Centre which is supported by the VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation.
A few months ago Mr. and Ms. Senft became involved in a campaign to raise $35-million toward expanding the centre’s research and treatment programs. The funding will help doctors develop new clinical care in all areas of urology including prostate, kidney and bladder cancer; kidney stones, bladder and female pelvic health, as well as sexual and reproductive health. In addition to co-chairing the campaign, the Senfts have donated $5-million.
“We really realize how enhanced research can translate into therapies and treatment and then cures,” Ms. Senft said. “So it’s really a unique opportunity to invest in discovery.”
Mr. Senft is not cancer-free but he has learned to live with the disease because of new treatments. “What our funds hopefully will do in part, is make sure that more people are able to benefit from this cutting-edge research that’s done at the Vancouver prostate centre,” he said.