Toronto is well on its way to getting a new hospice for children that will allow their families to live right alongside them as long as they like.
The Philip Aziz Centre is building the $7.5 million Emily's House at Gerard and Broadview in front of the old Don Jail, part of which will be housed in the old jail governor's mansion.
The result of six years of working with the city and
Bridgepoint Health, physical work began on the site in July.
The hospice has been named in honour of the capital campaign's first donor,
Emily Yeskoo, a 16-year-old girl with a terminal illness who gave $100. The Centre has also received a $500,000 Trillium grant, as well as an anonymous donation of $2 million, and is currently about 75 per cent of the way to its goal.
Emily's House will have room for 10 hospice beds, in addition to the family facilities. It will be run free of charge.
"There are two buildings," says Rauni Salminen, executive director of the Philip Aziz Centre, "one is the mansion, which will become the children's home, with an addition of 6,000 square feet, and the smaller building, right on the street, will be the administrative offices for the current hospice. We've been providing support in their own homes."
The Philip Aziz Centre was founded with a bequest to the Church in the City by
Mr. Aziz, an artist and art teacher, who died of AIDS in 1991.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Rauni Salminen
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