Couples make record donation to brain centre
$3 million will help with purchase of gamma knife, imaging system
The biggest-ever donation to the University Hospital Foundation’s brain centre campaign brings it one step closer to funding a sophisticated tool for conducting radiation therapy and an accompanying 3T MRI centre.
The $3-million donation from Jim and Sharon Brown and Guy and Shelley Scott will go toward the second part of the multi-phase project, which is a new treatment unit featuring a $17.5-million gamma knife. The new unit will be named for the two families.
“It’s a great cause and a great need. There’s a huge demand for it,” said Jim Brown, who is a cochair of the campaign, along with Guy Scott.
University of Alberta Hospital neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Aronyk said the gamma knife uses many focused beams of gamma radiation to fix lesions, tumours and aneurysms inside the brain. The device can be used for procedures beyond cancer treatment, including non-cancerous tumours, blood vessel problems and to treat people suffering from epilepsy. The treatment takes only one day and avoids many of the side effects of traditional radiation therapy.
“You don’t even have to talk about rehab,” said Aronyk. A patient could undergo the treatment and be “on a cruise the next day.”
Currently, the closest gamma knife is in Winnipeg.
The imaging centre, which Aronyk said will provide doctors with “high-definition TV” images of the brain, will be just as important.
“The better you can see the brain, the better you can treat the brain,” he said. “So much of brain treatment is now imaging.”
Edmonton doesn’t have a 3T MRI facility and “we need one desperately,” said Aronyk.
The treatment unit is expected to be completed in November 2017.
The third phase of the brain centre campaign will be an expansion and renovation of the patient-care area. With the recent donation, the foundation’s previous goal for the campaign of $35 million has been raised to $40 million and will continue to climb as donations come in.