How a teenager rallied the kids of Estevan to help raise $4M toward MRI machine

CBC's virtual road trip series Land of Living Stories explores the hidden gems across Saskatchewan. Reporter Janani Whitfield hit the road to Estevan in search of inspiring stories of community spirit. 

Eighteen-year-old Jaycee Ross may not have had any idea what his family was starting when they decided to donate a steer in his honour to the local health foundation. 

But after the steer raised more than $50,000 at auction for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine in Estevan, it sparked a wave of giving among other kids in 4-H,  and has helped the local hospital foundation raise an eye-popping $4.2 million in just five months toward the major purchase. 

"I'm just floored by the community involvement and community support," said Candace Kopec, executive director of St. Joseph's Hospital, adding that as someone who moved to Estevan, the community's generosity continues to surprise her.

"It is definitely the giving spirit of this community that just continues with the next generation."

$53,000 steer

Jaycee Ross is a happy and energetic young man who loves to laugh and give hugs despite a rare condition called Angelman Syndrome that's caused health complications over his lifetime. He is non-verbal, according to his mother, Carol. 

Despite the challenges he has faced, Jaycee graduated from Estevan Comprehensive High School this year, and his mother wanted the family to honour the milestone. 

"Jaycee's never been able to be in 4-H and this would have been his last year, right? So I just thought, maybe we could raise a steer and call it Jaycee's steer," she said, adding the plan was to donate the proceeds toward an MRI that would not only serve Estevan, but the entire southeast of the province.

Jaycee has needed MRI services in the past due to seizures. He's also had other health needs so the family felt the need to do something meaningful for the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation. 

Carol's hope was to cover the $5,000 market cost of the steer, which had been donated to the family by Jaycee's aunt and uncle. 

What happened on auction night blew her away.

"Jaycee's grandpa, Brian Ross, had decided to put together a consortium of people that basically all matched the initial donation of the value of the steer," she said, noting that one by one, people bought the steer only to donate it back to be auctioned off again and again.

"It was overwhelming. … I was standing out in the arena, holding the steer and trying not to cry."

The steer ended up reaching a price of $53,000. 

While Jaycee might not have understood everything that was happening, he was bouncing around with energy, Carol said, adding it was an "overwhelmingly positive" experience for his brother Hugh and his sister Sydney.

"I don't know if they would have told you that when they were feeding the steer, when it was minus-40," she said, chuckling. "It was just a great experience to see the community response and to be a part of something that's bigger than them."

A wave of giving

Last year, a local philanthropist offered a $2-million donation toward the purchase of an MRI machine. However, the province turned it down due to other expenses associated with operating the machine.

But the disappointment was short-lived.

Lori Gervais, executive director of the hospital foundation, says the province came back with an option.

"They have approved that if we can come up with the $6.5 million that the whole entire project will take, then they will provide the operating costs once it's up and running in the '25/26 budget," she said, adding that the foundation started fundraising toward that goal in April. 

Jaycee's donation was one of many that helped spread the word, and mobilized several 4-H kids to give money that they would otherwise have spent on their own needs and wants. 

"Yesterday alone, I had two other boys — one is in Grade 10 and one is in Grade 9 — one brought $1,045, the other one brought $812.00 of their own money," Gervais said. "It's pretty incredible." 

Now with $4.2 million raised, she feels confident the foundation can meet the target: "This community does it time and time again." 

Jaycee's mom Carol says it brings tears to her eyes to see the impact her son has made on the community.

"I'm lucky to be his mom and have the opportunity to make a difference for our community and celebrate the fact that he's reached the milestone and helped pave the way for other children to get involved." 

Read about some of the other change-makers who call Estevan home: