Supporting health transformation
At the University Hospital Foundation, we are dedicated to advancing care for two of the body’s most vital systems: the brain and the heart. Our mission is to fuel research, foster innovation and champion clinical excellence — transforming how we prevent, diagnose and treat conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, heart failure and diabetes.
But head and heart health don’t exist in isolation. The brain and the heart are deeply connected to the systems around them, and when one is under strain, others follow. Heart disease can accelerate cognitive decline. Diabetes can damage blood vessels in the brain, raising the risk of stroke and dementia. Kidney disease and heart disease so often travel together that treating one means caring for the other. These aren’t separate battles — they are part of the same fight.
That’s why Head and Heart encompass far more than two organs. It’s a commitment to understanding and treating the full web of conditions that touch brain and heart health — and to making sure patients and families across Alberta have access to the care, research and support they need.
The need is urgent:
1 in 3 Canadians will experience a brain disorder during their lifetime.
1 in 4 Canadians will confront heart disease.
Millions more live with conditions — kidney disease, diabetes, depression — that are deeply intertwined with both
When you support the Festival of Trees — through the Gala, the Silver Bell Soiree or Santa’s Breakfast — your gift helps fund research, innovative treatments and compassionate patient care for Albertans facing some of the most complex and interconnected health challenges of our time. Together, we can transform the future of care.
Your support makes a difference
The Festival of Trees has raised over $25 million for critically important causes at the University of Alberta Hospital site. From bringing incision-free brain surgery technology to Edmonton, to expanding intensive care for cardiac patients, your support has impacted patients from head-to-toe.
Here are some of the amazing stories that have come from the last 40 years of support:
Safe at Home:
Home Dialysis Helps End-Stage Kidney Patients Return to Life
Taryn Gantar is one of over 1500 people living with end-stage kidney disease who receive treatment through Alberta Kidney Care – North, headquartered at the University of Alberta Hospital. For the past twenty years, Taryn has had to receive dialysis, typically for four hours per day, three days per week. Before switching to home dialysis, she had to use precious energy reserves to commute to the hospital for the treatment.
Every Second Counts: Bringing Canada’s First Stroke Ambulance to Edmonton
Lukas Jardine was just 28 years old when the left side of his face began to sag, his eye drooping. His wife, Celine, knew right away he was having a stroke and that, if help didn’t arrive soon enough, their lives could be dramatically changed forever. Within minutes of its arrival, Lukas was wheeled into the Stroke Ambulance for a CT scan. Minutes later, the images were sent to an on-call neurologist at the University of Alberta Hospital, who consulted with the on-board stroke physician.
Targeting Tumours:
Gamma Knife at the Brain Centre
Major Steve Kuervers was one of the last Canadian soldiers to leave Afghanistan, and soon after returning home, he suffered a splitting headache. Doctors at his base sent him to the Brain Centre at the University of Alberta Hospital fearing that the flight home may have caused a blood clot in his brain. Doctors found something on Steve’s CT scan – a rare brain tumor behind his right eye. Difficult to find, and even more difficult to treat. He was given the choice between traditional brain surgery, and ground-breaking Gamma Knife.
Proudly Supporting
Proudly Supporting