Joint gift to The Royal and The Ottawa Hospital will support urgent, life-changing treatment for people living with mental illness
The Royal and The Ottawa Hospital Foundation are proud to announce a transformational $5 million donation from the Kruyne family to improve access to mental health care across Ottawa, ensuring more people receive the treatment they need, when they need it.
The $5 million gift will be shared between The Royal and The Ottawa Hospital, and will:
- Improve access to timely, specialized mental illness and addiction care
- Support the establishment of eastern Ontario’s first mental health urgent care clinic at The Royal
- Advance innovative treatment and research through The Royal’s Interventional Psychiatry Program and Brain Imaging Centre
- Create specialized EmPATH spaces within the Emergency Department at The Ottawa Hospital’s new campus
- Drive mental health research, including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive therapy for depression being advanced in collaboration with The Royal
Inspired by the memory of a close friend who died by suicide, the Kruyne family hopes this investment will strengthen access to mental health services across the community and help create a future where fewer families and loved ones experience the devastating impact of mental illness.
A deeply personal gift
"Too many people in our community struggle to access the mental health care they need at the moment they need it most," said Melissa Kruyne, on behalf of the Kruyne family. "This gift is deeply personal for our family. We have experienced firsthand the impact that mental illness can have on individuals, families and entire communities. By supporting two exceptional organizations, we hope to help more people in Ottawa access care earlier, find hope and build healthier futures."
This gift announcement is being made on World Suicide Prevention Day, recognizing the critical importance of expanding access to timely mental health care and evidence-based treatments for people living with mental illness.
The power of philanthropy
"Philanthropy has the power to transform mental health care and change lives," said Chris Ide, President and CEO of The Royal’s Foundation. "The Kruyne family's generosity will help The Royal expand access to urgent mental health care and personalized treatment for people across our region. We are incredibly grateful for their vision, compassion and commitment to supporting mental health in our community."
“We are deeply grateful to the Kruyne family for this extraordinary investment in mental health care,” said Tim Kluke, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. “Their generosity will help create access to care that would not have otherwise been possible. It will provide calming spaces and faster care for people experiencing mental health crises and advance research that can lead to better treatments. Most importantly, this gift will help ensure more people in our community can access the right care at the right time — when they need it most.”
By supporting innovative treatment options, rapid access to care and collaboration between leading health-care organizations, the Kruyne family's investment will help improve outcomes for people living with mental illness across Ottawa for years to come.
For more information
Media Contact
Alyssa Nader, Communications Specialist, The Royal
About The Royal
The Royal is one of Canada’s foremost mental illness and addiction treatment, research, and education hospitals, dedicated to supporting individuals aged 16 and older who are living with complex mental illness and addiction. Since opening in 1910, The Royal has grown into a trusted resource for people across eastern and northern Ontario, western Quebec and Nunavut.
With campuses in Ottawa and Brockville, and clinical teams working directly in homes and communities, The Royal delivers compassionate, evidence-informed care grounded in cutting-edge research, including through its partnership with the University of Ottawa and other academic and community partners. Its integrated model brings together care, research, education and strategic partnerships to help build a future of recovery.
At The Royal, donor support helps more people reclaim their lives from mental illness and addiction by increasing access to care and improving outcomes.
About The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals, where excellent care is inspired by research and driven by compassion. As the third-largest employer in Ottawa, our support staff, researchers, nurses, physicians, and volunteers never stop seeking solutions to the most complex healthcare challenges.
Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, attracts some of the most influential scientific minds from around the world. Our focus on learning and research leads to new techniques and discoveries that are adopted globally to improve patient care.
We are the Regional Trauma Centre for eastern Ontario and have been accredited with Exemplary Standing for healthcare delivery — the highest rating from Accreditation Canada. We are also home to world-leading research programs focused on cancer therapeutics, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, chronic disease, and practice-changing research.
Backed by generous support from the community, we are committed to providing the world-class, compassionate care we would want for our loved ones.
For more information about The Ottawa Hospital, visit OHFoundation.ca.
