Retired DuPage County judge promises $2M donation for Convalescent Center

A retired DuPage County judge has pledged $2 million to help serve as the basis for a new capital campaign for the DuPage Convalescent Center, according to a news release from the county.

Kenneth Moy, who served as a circuit court judge from 1996 to his retirement in 2007, said he made the donation with personal experience in mind.

"I think about this particularly now, as my own wife battles Alzheimer’s disease," he said during the May 10 DuPage County Board meeting. "I visit her every day in the facility where she now lives, but I can’t really talk to her. I have so much empathy for families, husbands and wives, who struggle in this chapter of their lives. [DuPage County Board] Chairman [Dan] Cronin and I have this sad experience in common. As we talked, I considered what I could do to make a lasting impact and really help families like ours.”

The convalescent center, which has been in operation since 1988, is tasked with providing care to elderly and disabled residents in the county, 75 percent of whom receive Medicaid funding.

Recently, the county has begun looking at possible infrastructure and financial improvements for the facility, including a March 22 report to the board's Finance Committee.

Board member Bob Larsen, who chairs the board's Health and Human Services Committee, said the pledge would give the effort for a new, long-term strategy "a significant boost."

Moy previously served as a member of the DuPage County Board, with election victories in 1984, 1988 and 1994.

"We are honored and thrilled to receive this extraordinary pledge," Cronin said. "We know Judge Moy’s gift and the resulting capital campaign will support our convalescent center’s mission to provide patient-centered care for our most vulnerable citizens. We are deeply grateful."

For more on the convalescent center, visit mysuburbanlife.com and dupageco.org/convo.