Legacy donor Yee-Bing Wong knows all about sharing. As the third-born child of seven, she had no choice but to share. But it wasn’t just a necessity – it was a value taught to her and her siblings by her mother.
“She was the most caring person I knew,” says Yee-Bing. “I am who I am because of her.”
Born in China, Yee-Bing and her family moved to Canada when she was nine, with her four younger siblings later born here. Everyone contributed to the household in one way or another, Yee-Bing’s chore was laundry, and her parents taught them to rely on one another to operate as a functional family unit.
She’s carried these important lessons throughout her life, continuing to share and contribute to the people and causes that are meaningful to her. Because her mother emphasized kindness and sharing, giving back to charity was always a part of their life.
When Yee-Bing’s father was ill, he spent a month in hospital at Toronto General Hospital within University Health Network (UHN), for heart bypass surgery and other health issues. The family felt that the care he received was outstanding, along with the compassionate support they were shown during that time.
“My mother always regretted that she didn’t have more to give to the hospital that cared for my father so well before he passed,” says Yee-Bing. That’s why she has chosen to make UHN the beneficiary of her life insurance policy. “By leaving a legacy gift, I feel like I’m extending my mother’s legacy of caring.”
Yee-Bing is grateful not only for the exceptional care her father received at UHN, but also for the care she’s personally received due to multiple chronic medical issues.
With travel as one of her favourite hobbies, her treatment at UHN has allowed her to feel well enough to travel twice a year, with only the pandemic interrupting those plans. She’s now looking forward to a trip next year to explore her roots in China with her older sister.
UHN has given her life back, and it’s only made it more meaningful for her to donate.
“I know that the support from previous donors has helped the hospitals to help people like me,” says Yee-Bing. “Medical research, innovation and discovery has enabled our society to be healthy and lengthen our lifespan.”
By naming UHN Foundation as the beneficiary of her life insurance policy, Yee-Bing’s legacy will carry forward the 165-year history of innovative patient care and world-first discoveries at UHN, changing patient care for the better right here in Toronto and around the globe.
“I have a simple life,” she says. “But whatever I have, I want to share it with others to help them live long and healthy lives.”
Any amount donated will make a difference in the lives of patients, and life insurance is just one of many ways to leave a legacy that will transform the next generation of health care. To learn more, visit UHNfoundation.ca/mylegacy.