Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

Only days remain until we say goodbye to a year that brought with it the darkest times in recent history. The pandemic has placed an immense cost on our society, both in lives lost and daily life affected, but we are resilient and will persist through it all.

While this is a Christmas like no other, we hope the days ahead continue to be a time for warm and endearing connections with your loved ones, even though we all remain physically apart from one another.

The hardship the pandemic has brought to the Staff of the Royal Alex continues today. And though they cannot prevent the adversity they face, it has provided the opportunity to focus their collective efforts on resiliency, lessons adapted from Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg’s Seven C’s of Resiliency. The entire Royal Alex is focused on these teachings right now as one collective 'top of mind'. I want to share these with you today because they speak volumes about our Royal Alex nurses, physicians, and others who are integral to the delivery of health care, and to our donors who support this work during this dark time.

Competence: Identify and take pride in dealing with the limitations and affect the pandemic has had on your life.

Confidence: Praise yourself and those around you for overcoming the obstacles placed in your path, the ways you have pivoted and thought outside the box to recover from challenges.

Connection: Connections are vital. If only from a distance, lean on one another to build camaraderie and a sense of community. We are in this together!

Character: Take pride in the way you have handled yourself over these most challenging times. Your commitment to integrity says so much about you.

Contribution: When you contribute to the well-being of others, your resiliency level increases. As supporters of the Royal Alex, you have our immense gratitude, and we recognize the contributions you have made during this very trying year.

Coping: Make a focused effort to identify and use coping strategies that work for you. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media, and focus on activities you enjoy. Nature walks, meditation, exercise, and rest. Instead of resisting the slower pace forced upon us this holiday season, enjoy the additional time at home as it may never resurface in this way again.

Control: Recognize and appreciate the control you have over the things you can control and let go of the anxiety brought by worry over the things you cannot.

I hope these lessons provide you with the tools you need to continue to move forward. Albertans are a resilient bunch and we are, most certainly, stronger together.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Staff at the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, I wish you the best of the holiday season.

All of us at the Royal Alex are so grateful for your donations. Your compassion for our patients and the resilient Staff who care for them, shown through your generosity, has meant so much to our healthcare heroes. Your donations empower the extra-supports needed to deliver skilled, compassionate, and safe patient care at this hard-working hospital at a crucial time in its history.

If you have already provided your year-end charitable gift, thank you. If you have not, please consider making your donation to help our healthcare teams today.

Thank you for your support of our hospital. Stay well. Stay safe.

Sincerely,

Sharlene Rutherford, BPA MBA
President & CEO, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

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