Kidney transplant recipient donates $1 million to LHSC urology division

Keith and Leanne Lavergne of LaSalle, Ont. are seen in this undated image. (Source: LHSF)

On Tuesday, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) received a donation from a couple from LaSalle, Ont. — and their reason for the generous gift is simply a way to pay it forward.

According to a press release from the London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), Keith and Leanne Lavergne of LaSalle donated $1 million to the LHSC Division of Urology. The gift will establish the Keith and Leanne Lavergne Family Chair in Urology which will bolster the division’s research and development needs.

“Keith…wanted to give back to the care team and hospital that helped save his life and give him so much more than money could ever buy — time with his loved ones,” the release reads.

For Lavergne Chair and Chief of Urology Dr. Alp Sener, the donation from Keith and Leanne was a humbling experience.

“I’m honoured to be the inaugural holder of this Chair and I am inspired by Keith and Leanne’s generosity,” he said in a statement. “My goal is to ensure that our division is prepared for the future and that it continues to set standards as a national leader in research, education and academics. I’m confident the Keith and Leanne Lavergne and Family Chair in Urology will help us achieve that.”

Ultimately, Sener believes the donation will completely revolutionize the division.

“The Lavergne Chair will enable us to carry out cutting edge research, including moonshot projects in areas including fundamental sciences, clinical trials, quality improvement and in surgical education,” said Sener. “Ultimately, these research projects have the potential to make a great impact on patient care in the future, but without funding, they are not possible.”

In addition, the Lavergne Chair will have the potential to support yearly catalyst research grants and fellowship programs within specialized departments, such as transplant, oncology, men’s health and minimally invasion surgery — all of which will “elevate the division both academically and clinically for the betterment of patient care in the future.”

After a trying health battle, Keith and Leanne wanted to find a way to give back to LHSC in honour of the care provided by Sener and his team.

“With a staggering number of people in Canada living with kidney disease, the Lavergne’s hope their gift can help future patients get the exceptional care Keith did, for generations to come,” the release reads.

The LHSC Division of Urology was established in 1954, and John MacFarlane, president and CEO at LHSF believes great things are ahead for the department.

“It is through Keith and Leanne's generosity that change is possible for the Division of Urology,” he said. “Today they have created hope for the future. I look forward to seeing the great things that come from the creation of the Lavergne Chair.”

For Keith and Leanne, the hope provided to them through Sener and the LHSC Division of Urology was a powerful motivator, and they hope that their donation will return and favour and inspire hope to others like them in the future.

“Over the next 10 years, you are going to see some remarkable strides being made from the research being done through the Lavergne Chair,” said Keith. “We just hope our gift can help save more people that are living with kidney disease now and in the future.”