A Gift of Compassion

David McCutcheon (right) with Dr. Stephen Liben. (PHOTO: OWEN EGAN)

A year ago, David McCutcheon, BEng’61, was reading the Faculty of Medicine newsletter. One article in particular left a deep impression on him. As a parent and grandparent, McCutcheon was greatly moved by the work of Dr. Stephen Liben, an Associate Professor at McGill who heads the Pediatric Palliative Program at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, which provides care to children with chronic or terminal illnesses.

“I have often reflected on the importance of my McGill education and I was looking for a way to make a permanent contribution,” McCutcheon explains. He decided to establish the David McCutcheon Fellowship in Pediatric Palliative Care, which will support graduate students who are pursuing research in this field.

McCutcheon’s generous gift of $500,000 is the culmination of a long relationship with McGill – a bond that has grown closer over the years. A loyal annual donor since 1964, McCutcheon became a Director and Treasurer of Friends of McGill in New York in 2000. He now volunteers his energy and expertise to Campaign McGill activities in New York.

McCutcheon spent most of his career in investment banking and has lived outside of Canada for the past 40 years. After extensive periods in London and the Middle East, he worked in New York as a Managing Director of Credit Suisse First Boston until his retirement in 2002. It was McGill’s international focus that helped renew his interest in his alma mater. “I am impressed with the way McGill has reached out to students across Canada and in foreign countries. This has helped distinguish it as the leading Canadian university.”

“We are most grateful for Mr. McCutcheon’s invaluable support,” says Dr. Liben. “It’s a stark reality that, despite the best eΩorts of modern medicine, some children face dying as a result of their illness. Pediatric palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for these children and their families. While much is being done to help, there remain many unanswered questions – ranging from how to assess pain in the non-verbal child, to how to best support bereaved loved ones. This new McCutcheon Fellowship will help us answer some of these important questions.”

“To have a youngster who is ill makes for a very stressful time,” says McCutcheon. “As more support is given to this field of research, I’m glad to know that I am helping in some way.”

Brett Hooton, BA’02, MA’05