$35 million gift from Ajmera family establishes UHN's Ajmera Transplant Institute

TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2026 /CNW/ -- UHN Foundation proudly announces a landmark $35 million gift from Toronto's Ajmera family, raising their cumulative giving to $62 million and establishing the Ajmera Transplant Institute at University Health Network.

At $62 million, the Ajmera family becomes the largest known single-family philanthropic donors to transplant medicine globally. Building on their long history of generosity, the Ajmera Transplant Institute will create a global hub for transplantation, research, innovation and education, uniting the full spectrum of transplant care under one roof.

The Institute builds on the work of Canada's largest and most comprehensive transplant program, which the Ajmera family's support has helped make possible. UHN's achievements include:

• Performing Canada's first donation after death by circulatory criteria heart transplant
• Creating the world's first Centre for Living Organ Donation
• Transplanting lab-grown insulin-producing cells in a landmark international clinical trial that enabled people with Type 1 diabetes to live without insulin injections at the one-year follow-up
• Becoming a global leader in organ preservation, transplant innovation, and ex-vivo perfusion which was developed at UHN
• Successfully performing a rare five-organ transplant
• Performing a record-breaking 820 transplants in 2025-6, including the most lung transplants of anywhere in the world
• Making enormous strides in transplant oncology, including using living donor liver transplantation to treat people with otherwise incurable liver metastases for the first time in North America

"When I came to Canada at 26 years old, I did it to build a better life for my family," said Sam Ajmera, Co-Founder of FGF Brands. "Canada gave us the opportunity to do that, and I am deeply grateful for it. It is immensely meaningful to support an institution as extraordinary as UHN. My hope is that the Ajmera Transplant Institute will turn the discoveries of today into the treatments that save lives tomorrow -- improving the lives of patients and families for generations to come."

Demand for organ transplantation is growing rapidly as rates of chronic disease continue to rise and more patients progress to end-stage organ failure. Many patients die waiting for a life-saving organ, while others face rejection, complications and the lifelong burden of immunosuppression following transplant. Addressing these challenges requires a new model of collaboration, one that unites experts across clinical care, engineering, immunology, regenerative medicine, cell therapy and data science; the Ajmera Transplant Institute is designed to meet that need.

"The gift marks a defining moment for UHN and for the future of transplantation," said Dr. Deepali Kumar, Program Medical Director, Ajmera Transplant Centre. "With it, we will have the opportunity to reimagine what is possible for those facing organ failure, reduce wait times and improve outcomes, and advance the next generation of transplant therapies. The Ajmera family's generosity will have a lasting impact on patients here in Canada and around the world."

Premier Doug Ford was in attendance to thank the family for their generosity, along with UHN doctors, surgeons and clinicians, and members of the philanthropic and business communities. With this gift, UHN Foundation is launching a wider $100 million campaign to support transplant medicine.

"The Ajmera family's legacy is one of hard work, dedication and an unwavering belief in the power of philanthropy," stated Julie Quenneville, CEO, UHN Foundation. "This gift will create the environment necessary to launch ambitious new research programs, increase commercialization, and drive meaningful change in the lives of patients around the world. It is an incredible example of what happens when a family uses their generosity to empower transformative change and we are beyond grateful for their support and leadership."

"Transplant medicine is one of the greatest achievements in modern health care, and UHN has long been at the forefront of that progress," said Dr. Kevin Smith, President & CEO, UHN. "The Ajmera family's visionary investment will enable us to accelerate discovery, deepen interdisciplinary collaboration and redefine what is possible in transplantation. Together, we will improve outcomes for patients, save more lives and further establish Canada as a global leader in transplant medicine."

"As our government works to connect people across Ontario to world-class health care, we're grateful for the incredibly generous partnership of the Ajmera family," said Premier Doug Ford. "Their donation will help UHN continue to build on its position as a global leader in transplant medicine, delivering life-saving care and groundbreaking research, and giving more patients and families hope when they need it most."

For more information visit uhnfoundation.ca

About UHN Foundation

Part of University Health Network (UHN), Canada's #1 hospital and ranked #2 in the world, UHN Foundation raises funds for Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto Rehab and The Michener Institute of Education. No one ever changed the world on their own: Donor support is critical to upholding the excellence in patient care that UHN is known for and changing the status quo of health care – helping to recruit top medical experts from around the world, complete transformational capital projects, train the next generation of health care leaders, and advance bold medical research. UHNfoundation.ca

About University Health Network (UHN)

UHN is Canada's Hospital -- ranked #2 in the world, #1 in Canada. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. For more information, visit: www.uhn.ca  

SOURCE UHN Foundation

Olivia Monardo, Manager, Public Relations, e. [email protected], t. 416-669-0638