Lung transplant patient housing in Toronto

NOTE: THIS FACILITY NO LONGER EXISTS. FOR POSSIBLE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WITH HOUSING IN ONTARIO PLEASE CONTACT ANN MCGUIRE: annmcguire@rogers.com or Telephone 416-233-3614.

THE HIGHLANDS OF WOODBRIDGE
8040 Kipling Avenue
Woodbridge, Ontario
(click photo for larger image)

"the Civitan Club team has been able set the rent at $675 monthly for the luxury condos and includes all utilities - hydro, telephone, internet, etc. The units are completely furnished with brand new high quality furniture"

Tuesday I visited the Toronto Lung Transplant Civitan Club's housing project with Linda Lycett from Civitan. Linda received a single-lung transplant 16 years ago and has been a tireless advocate for fund raising to help our lung transplant community in Toronto.

Over the years the Civitan Club has worked hard to raise money to acquire suitable, affordable accomodation for out-of-town lung patients waiting for a transplant. Their dreams have now come true and enough money has been raised to purchase two spacious 1,100 sq ft units that will accommodate a total of four patients and their support persons.

People come to Toronto from across the country to wait for lung transplants at Toronto General Hospital, to get checkups after transplants or to stay while healing. (Once they receive their transplant patients must vacate the units after the 3-month recovery period). Living and housing expenses are major financial concerns for patients. They not only have to maintain residences back home but they are also burdened with thousands of dollars a month of costs in Toronto for rent, travel and food, etc.

Thanks to generous benefactors and donors, the Civitan Club team has been able set the rent at $675 monthly for the luxury condos and includes all utilities - hydro, telephone, internet, etc. The units are completely furnished with brand new high quality furniture and the gourmet kitchen is completely outfitted with top-of-the-line appliances. The cupboards are fully stocked with very high quality dishes and cutlery. Special deals were offered by suppliers and some items were donated outright. Many upgrades such as flooring, etc. are included and Civitan members have donated their time and skills to further enhance the amenities such as installing a luxurious ceramic backsplash in the kitchen.

The common living room has a brand new flat screen television and comes with cable tv supplied. The furniture and beds are top-of-the line (patients must provide their own bedding). Here's a layout of the Sienna unit that Civitan Club has puchased two of:

click for larger image

Some of the other amenities:
• A private party room with bar, an adjacent billiards and cards room, and a catering kitchen, complete with espresso machine... which you can reserve for get-togethers with family and friends.
• A well-equipped fitness room where you can work out, with his and hers saunas and change rooms.
• A separate lounge and meeting room.
• Two furnished guest suites for when you have visitors from out of town.

I was deeply impressed by this home-away-from-home that the Toronto Lung Transplant Civitan Club has provided for patients waiting for their life-saving surgery. And because of the common living area, patients and their loved ones in similar circumstances will be able to bond with each other and share their ups and downs, knowing what each other is going through. From my own experience, I know they will quickly become a family.

The Civitan members are to be commended for this wonderful achievement and I am in awe of them.

Contacts for information or to make a donation:

The Toronto Lung Transpant Civitan Club Inc.
600 The East Mall, PO Box 11546
Etobicoke, ON M9B 6L1

Secretary Ann McGuire
annmcguire@rogers.com or
Telephone 416-233-3614.

Treasurer Judy Clarke
jclarke100@sympatico.ca
Telephone 905-689-5297.

President Mavis Bullock
ltrimble917@rogers.com
Telephone 416-438-9927

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