Greatest gifts benefit fellow man
Cindy and Paul Benninghoff believe the greatest gift you can give is one that benefits fellow man. And with much thought, they are giving such a gift.
In thanks for the care they received at St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, the St. Thomas couple decided to leave a bequest to St. Joseph’s to benefit the health of others. 
Married for 32 years, Paul and Cindy share a passion for music, Harley Davidsons, and their faith.
Inspired by her mother Ruby, Cindy is a musician. She plays the piano, guitar and violin, and teaches music. As a musician, her hands are her tools, but they also represent so much more.
“My hands aren’t about me,” says a spiritual Cindy. “They do God’s work and reach out to other people.”
Paul is an electrician and a technology and electronics whiz who dabbles with computers and supports their work in the church with multi-media presentations.
Their journeys with St. Joseph’s arose under different circumstances and took different paths, yet both experienced the same compassionate care. “When you walk into St. Joseph’s, you just feel like you are going to be well looked after,” said Cindy.
In 2007, Paul was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Referred to Dr. Gerald Brock at St. Joseph’s Urology Centre, the specialist immediately gave them hope. He suggested they speak with his colleague Dr. Stephen Pautler, one of Canada’s leading robotic surgeons.
“We chuckled to ourselves when we saw Dr. Pautler wearing a Harley Davidson surgical cap,” says Paul. “Somehow we knew we were going to get along with him.”
Paul had surgery using the state-of-the-art da Vinci Robotic Surgical System that provides a minimally invasive option for major surgery. Within a few weeks, he was back to his regular routine.
It was shortly after Paul’s recovery that Cindy first received care at St. Joseph’s Hand and Upper Limb Centre (HULC). Tremendous pain in her hands was threatening her ability to play music. Dr. Ruby Grewal at HULC became her surgeon and Cindy was immediately impressed by her thoroughness and attention to detail. Cindy was also struck by Dr. Grewal’s effort to understand who she was and what was important to her.
“She listened to my faith and she watched me play my violin. That personal touch is the difference at St. Joseph’s.”
Cindy has had four surgeries on her hands in the last three years. Each one has been a success allowing and her hands to play on.
“I believe my mom lives on thanks to St. Joseph’s restoring my hands,” says Cindy. “I’m so grateful that I can pass on her love of music through my music and teaching.”
It is in gratitude for the care that Cindy and Paul received that they decided to make their planned legacy gift.
“In this lifetime, you want to leave a mark,” says Cindy. “If we can give money so that others can receive the type of care that we did, then that’s how we are going to leave our mark; that’s important to us.”
St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation extends its sincere appreciation to Cindy and Paul for their thoughtful and generous legacy intention. Legacy gift are gifts for the future that enable St. Joseph’s continue to deliver compassionate care to people.
