Your Impact

Don and Wendy Smith know a thing or two about comforting people through difficult times. As owner and president of Smith’s Funeral Homes, Don has spent his career helping families navigate grief and caring for them as they say goodbye to a loved one. He has also been on the receiving end of care...

Dr. Serena Wong sees the need for increased funding to mental health care every day. As a clinical psychologist, she cares for adults of all ages – providing one-to-one therapy, as well as group therapy for in- and out-patients. And she’s worried about the growing need for mental health care...

Dr. Fatemah Alali says that the expanded emergency care treatment space and new equipment in the Ivey Eye Institute is a game changer. “It has changed the way we work and improved our approach to care,” says the fourth-year physician resident. With donor support, the Ivey Eye Institute recently...

“I wouldn’t be walking today if it wasn’t for the staff at Parkwood,” says Lynda Vanderaa, who was initially left paralyzed in both legs following a car accident. It was the summer of 2008 when a car that Lynda was travelling in hit some gravel and went off the road. She spent two weeks in hospital...

“It’s really a cool piece of equipment,” says Stephanie Cornell, physiotherapist and Coordinator in St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation Program, of the new functional electric stimulation (FES) bike. For people with partial or complete paralysis or loss of function of their muscles as a result of a stroke...

Rob Kelland knows firsthand that it takes a village to make a difference. As a Portfolio Manager and founder of the Kelland Portfolio Management Group at ScotiaMcLeod, Rob leads a team of 18 associates and staff who together manage one of the largest asset bases at ScotiaMcLeod across Canada. The...

Ryan Finch’s $5 million donation to mental health care research at St. Joseph’s is creating a ripple effect. Several community events, including Kicks for Strength and the popular Forest City Cycling Challenge, were inspired by his generosity. As news of the landmark donation spread in June 2023...

John and Jane Downs describe themselves as ‘average Canadians’, but their commitment to investing in and learning about healthcare is anything but average. What started as an annual donation from the local couple who were grateful for their care has grown into a deep relationship with St. Joseph’s....

“I went down face first, denting my helmet. It felt like I fell into a cheese grater. My right arm was extended and I bounced off the deck and hit hard on my right side.” – Louis Martin It was a moment Louis Martin will never forget. While cycling in Elgin County on a downhill descent, he fell on an...