Royal University Hospital Foundation

06/03/2026

A Grade 10 student from Elrose turned her own experience into something bigger for her community.

Earlier this year, Jerrilee Shaw was a patient at the Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health at RUH. The care she received stayed with her, so when her class was asked to find a way to give back, she knew where to start. She organized a walk/run for mental health in Elrose, and 34 people took part, with some joining virtually from nearby communities Eston, Rosetown and Outlook.

Together with a match from her parents and additional donations online, the effort raised more than $2,500 for the Dubé Centre.

"Support doesn't make problems disappear, but it reminds people they don't have to face them alone,” said Jerrilee, age 15.

Mental health care reaches families across Saskatchewan, and it's something you can support through RUH Foundation. Gifts can be directed to the Dubé Centre, helping youth and adults through some of the hardest moments of their lives.

https://ruhf.org/donate/

05/27/2026

This is Darryl Gurbach with his granddaughter.

In April 2020, Darryl was severely injured in a workplace accident on a grid road near Tisdale, Saskatchewan. His legs were crushed by the heavy gate of a gravel truck, and he waited hours before someone found him.

Airlifted to Royal University Hospital, Darryl endured the amputation of his left leg, kidney dialysis and more than a month in the Trauma ICU. In the onset of the pandemic, his wife was only allowed to visit once, when his care team thought he wouldn’t make it.

To survive, Darryl focused on his wife and family. His daughter had just gotten engaged, and he thought about her upcoming wedding and the grandchildren he might have one day.

“After that I started realizing that I’ve fought this hard already, I’ve got to keep going,” he said.

Thanks to the care he received at RUH, Darryl recovered in time to walk his daughter down the aisle and returned to work five years later. Most importantly, he can play with his grandchildren.

🔗Read about Darryl’s incredible journey and the amazing professionals at RUH who helped save his life: https://ruhf.org/a-fighting-chance/

05/22/2026

Health care is a shared mission, and our collaboration with the College of Medicine - University of Saskatchewan helps strengthen RUH's impact as Saskatchewan's largest teaching hospital.

“Our donors see the value in investing in leading-edge technology, important research and training the health-care leaders who will shape the future of medicine in our province," says Jennifer Molloy, RUH Foundation CEO.

A partnership through the decades.

05/20/2026

Dr. Victoria Tian grew up in Edmonton, fell in love with Saskatoon during her training and has called it home ever since. Now she's at McGill University in Montreal, completing a fellowship in Pain Medicine — and plans to bring her training back to RUH.

Chronic pain often overlaps with other complex conditions, and patients do best when one practitioner can see the whole picture. Dr. Tian is bringing together her expertise in General Internal Medicine, Addiction Medicine and Pain Medicine into one practice, right here in Saskatchewan.

That kind of specialized training doesn't happen without support.

Thanks to donors like you, RUH Foundation funds fellowship opportunities that attract and retain the physicians our province needs most.

🔗Read the Q&A: https://ruhf.org/fellowship-spotlight-dr-victoria-tian/

05/14/2026

Today, we’re proud to recognize CPKC for their meaningful support of the Interventional Cardiology Suite at Royal University Hospital.

Over the past several years, CPKC has helped advance both the Electrophysiology (EP) and Cardiac Catheterization (Cath) Labs — spaces where specialized teams deliver life-saving care every day. In this photo, Dr. Chris Pekrul represents the clinicians who are deeply grateful for donors like CPKC, whose support ensures patients receive the best possible treatment, close to home.

CPKC’s impact also extends to the Coronary Care Unit, supporting a cardiac temperature management system used in the treatment of cardiac arrest. This best-practice approach improves survival outcomes when every second counts.

Thank you, CPKC, for helping strengthen cardiac care for our community. ❤️

05/12/2026

Construction begins this week on a major upgrade to Royal University Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. When complete, RUH will be home to Saskatchewan's largest and most advanced ICU. 💙

The two-year, multi-million-dollar project will grow the ICU capacity and create 26 single-patient rooms. It is supported by the
Government of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Health Authority and $3 million in donations from RUH Foundation supporters.

Thanks to our incredible donors, who are moving health care forward for Saskatchewan. 👏

Read more: https://ruhf.org/news-icu-expansion-construction-begins/

05/08/2026

The newsletter arriving in our donors' mailboxes in the coming days looks a little different than before. New look, new name: Momentum. ✨

Why the change? Because your generosity creates Momentum. Thanks to you, we're moving Saskatchewan health care forward.

In this issue, we're asking you to help us build the momentum to give surgeons at Royal University Hospital access to the advanced orthopedic trauma equipment they need. Because when our community steps up, lives change.

Watch your mailbox. Inside, you'll see exactly what your support has created and what we can build together next.

📫 Can’t wait? Read the latest issue online at https://ruhf.org/news.

04/28/2026

Meet Stella Spanos.

She started a home bakery from her mother's traditional Greek baklava recipe. What began as sharing homemade treats with friends grew into Stella's Baklava, a Saskatoon business built around generosity and community. She's also known for Random Acts of Baklava, showing up unannounced at hospitals, local businesses and community organizations with boxes of baklava just to say thank you.

Stella is joining us on June 15 as a featured speaker at our Women Leading Philanthropy Celebration Meeting, sharing how a passion project can grow into something that genuinely gives back.

Also on the program: Dr. Sabira Valiani, a critical care physician at RUH and our 2025 WLP grant recipient, sharing a progress update on her project Connect-ICU, which is working to improve communication between health care teams and patients and families in the ICU.

Women Leading Philanthropy is a collective of women who each contribute $1,200 per year and vote together on which female-led research project receives that year's $100,000 grant. Eight inspiring projects have been funded since 2018.

💜Learn more: ruhf.org/women-leading-philanthropy

04/23/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation (DDCDC) for their generous support of a Mini Radial Probe at Royal University Hospital 💙

Because of this gift, patients facing the uncertainty of lung conditions can access timely, accurate diagnostics close to home. This advanced technology helps physicians detect and diagnose issues earlier, reduces the need for more invasive procedures and brings peace of mind to patients and families across Saskatchewan.

Your generosity is helping transform health care in our community — thank you for making a meaningful difference ✨

Pictured here are some very grateful medical team members from the Medical Day Care and Endoscopy unit.

04/21/2026

This National Volunteer Week, we want to take a moment to thank the amazing people who give their time to RUH Foundation, with the goal of making health care better for everyone in Saskatchewan. 💙

The committee members who pour their energy into Women Leading Philanthropy and the Greek Gourmet Feast. The volunteers who keep our Gift Shop running all year long. The Board of Directors who bring their leadership and expertise to guide our work. We are so grateful for your support. Thank you. 🙏