This past week Sunset Palliative Care in Portage la Prairie received one of the largest donations ever and easily their largest of 2018. Coordinator Aldene Moroz says it was a wonderful gift to receive, especially at this time of year.

"It was just a wonderful gift to get," says Moroz. "We got it from Ian and Anita Elgert and it was for $15,000 to be used towards the third palliative care room at the Portage General Hospital. It was really a gift from heaven, as I call it. When you get these gifts at the end of the year you're totally surprised."

Moroz says the donation was in honour of Anita's mother.

"Unfortunately, Anita's mother, Yvonne, did not have a good experience passing away in the hospital. It would have been lovely if she could have been in a palliative care room. That's why it was so important to them to give. This contribution was in the hope that others would give as well towards the room."

Moroz notes they haven't received a donation this large for a number of years, that being when they were fundraising for the very first palliative care room.