Photo caption: Helen Wilden, a past patient of VGH's Leukemia Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, cherishes every moment she spends with her great-nieces.

Helen Wilden of Port Coquitlam believes it's the expert and compassionate care she received from doctors and nurses at VGH, support of family and friends, and her own determination that saw her through her battle with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

She's one of the many people from all over the province who come to VGH for the most progressive treatment for blood diseases. While treatments for multiple myeloma have come a long way since Helen was diagnosed in 1993, there is no cure yet. Helen wants to do everything she can to help research progress, not for herself, but for other people who will face the same diagnosis in the future.

"I decided to leave a gift in my will for this kind of research. I was inspired by the hard work and dedication of the doctors and nurses I met at VGH," she says. "I remember talking to one doctor whose own mother didn't survive multiple myeloma. The doctor told me her mission was to find a cure. She said clinical research was key."

Helen continued, "My doctors helped me. Now I want to help them do the same for other blood cancer patients. It brings me peace of mind, knowing that I'll be supporting others along the path. I'm hopeful that my gift will have a real impact on someone's life one day, maybe many lives! I also hope other people will think about what VGH has done for them, or someone they love, and think about giving back through their own actions."