Vancouver family who lost son to fentanyl donates $20 million to recovery centre

A Vancouver family known for its philanthropy is making a $20 million donation to a British Columbia substance use treatment centre in memory of their adult son and brother who died of an opioid overdose.

Jill Diamond, executive director of Vancouver's Diamond Foundation and sister to Steven Diamond, said in a statement that her brother might still be alive today if he had received the care being offered at Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital.

"No matter where we turned, we never found the help that Steven needed," Diamond said in a news release.

"We’re speaking out today for the first time because we want to save lives."

The donation to the St. Paul's Foundation will help fund the hospital's Road to Recovery program that aims to fill treatment gaps by cutting weeks off waiting lists and providing supports to patients through a full spectrum of treatment services in one location, the statement said.