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When Rehana Sumar’s father was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, her entire family was devastated.

Just 12 months later, cancer had returned – but this time, the diagnosis was hers.

Sumar already knew what she had to do.

She sought breast cancer treatment from Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto’s east end, where her father, Mohamed Sumar, received treatment the year before. A close family friend recommended the hospital to them.

“We were so impressed by that hospital and the care that my dad received,” says Sumar, who is the executive director of a charity. “So when I was diagnosed, I had no doubts that I wanted to go there as well.”

From doctors and nurses, to reception and support staff – even a maintenance crew greeted her family on their first visit – Sumar was grateful for the attentive care she received.

“It was the compassion [they showed],” she says. “I’ve been to many hospitals and have never experienced that before. Their level of care is truly unique.”

Michael Garron Hospital (formerly Toronto East General Hospital) marks 90 years serving a diverse community in East Toronto, which has a population exceeding 400,000. More than 50 languages are spoken in the 22 distinct neighbourhoods within this area.

It’s a varied patient population with unique needs, says Mitze Mourinho, president of Michael Garron Hospital Foundation.

“We’ve got a community that has a high prevalence of chronic disease and mental-health issues,” she says. “We have [a high proportion of] children in our community and a significant portion of seniors who live at home by themselves – higher than anywhere else in the city.”

This diversity provides opportunities for the hospital to evolve. Michael Garron Hospital is in the midst of a $100-million fundraising campaign – Heart of the East – to support a $500-million redevelopment, which was launched in 2018. At half-a-billion dollars, the six-year project will be transformative.

“Our talented staff do the best they can with our existing space, explains Mourinho, “but the fact is that we’re limited by our aging facility. We need the support of our entire community to make sure our hospital building matches the level of care we provide.”

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The hospital’s redevelopment has been carefully tailored to the needs of the community. Its plans include the construction of the Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre. Features of the new building include inpatient mental health units with homelike comfort as well as an outdoor terrace offering gardens and fresh air. Eighty per cent of inpatient rooms in the new facility will be single-patient rooms. Chest, renal and cardiac clinics will be clustered together so patients with multiple, chronic illnesses can navigate appointments seamlessly.

A comprehensive new pediatric centre will offer everything from breastfeeding clinics to autism services, while a multi-faith space will provide a quiet space for prayer, religious ceremonies and meditation.

Mixed retail, healthy places to eat, warm gathering areas, outdoor event spaces and a children’s playground are key essentials to the redevelopment’s primary aim – to welcome patients and the broader community alike.

“Our mission statement is to create health and build community,” Mourinho says. “At the end of the day, that’s our guiding star. Everything points to that.”

Sean Healey, a social worker in the child and adolescent mental health unit, lives a 10-minute walk away from the hospital. After moving from a small town in Newfoundland in 2002, he says Toronto’s east end surprised him – it was remarkably tight-knit for being part of the most populous city in the country.

“Everybody is so connected,” Healey says, “and everybody looks out for each other.”

He views Michael Garron Hospital as the centre of the community: Patients come from all walks of life and a variety of cultures, and the hospital brings high-quality care close to home. Healey frequently recognizes local residents in the halls, and says this familiarity brings comfort during times of sickness and stress.

“They know they’re going to be taken care of, they’re going to be looked after,” Healey says. “That’s really all you want, right?”

Sumar, 50, is celebrating her third year cancer-free. Her father, 81, lost a kidney to the disease, but remains in relatively good health.

“[Michael Garron Hospital] was so important to my family,” she says. “They should be a model for other hospitals – they really should. They gave me my life back.”

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.