Inspiring gift for healthcare

JOYCE Swinton needs to be congratulated on her enormous generosity in giving the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation its single biggest donation in history.

Mrs Swinton, 88, received a resounding round of applause following a press conference at Cairns Hospital where she was revealed as the anonymous benefactor that had given the foundation a record-breaking $550,000 last year.

The long-term Cairns resident has suffered a great deal in her long life, with her husband and daughter both dying from cancer, and Mrs Swinton herself having undergone numerous operations for a heart condition.

Knowing full well that Far North Queensland deserves better healthcare, she decided to donate the large sum of money to this extremely important cause.

This is a fantastic legacy this kind woman will leave behind, and being able to view the equipment the foundation has purchased with her money, Mrs Swinton was able to see how her gift has flowed immediately to areas where it is greatly needed.

When people give money to charity, they don’t tend to give much thought to where it ends up.

Some charities chew up donations in administrative fees, and very little tends to actually reach the initial cause people donated towards.

But organisations such as the hospital foundation, which has very close ties to the public health system, ensure money raised remains local, and is directed straight into local health services.

It is Mrs Swinton’s belief that by coming forward, she can encourage more people to give to the foundation. As someone who has put her money where her mouth is, you couldn’t ask for a better advocate.