Our Stories

Read the latest stories about what's going on at St. Joseph's Health Care London.

Tall dream comes true

With a list of burning questions in hand, Patricia Prance answered an incoming video call. On the other end of the line – a giraffe and his zookeeper. Prance has virtually visited not one but two giraffes thanks to St. Joseph's Health Care London's Palliative Care Unit at Parkwood Institute. Her interest in giraffes first sparked when she visited African Lion Safari as a kid. “I just fell in love with the way they ran and their tall necks. And I'm tall and lanky and run kind of like a giraffe,” she laughs. Prance always dreamed of meeting a giraffe and being able to pet it, but travel...
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Ambassador Sullenberger on stage

Courage is contagious

Nearly 1,000 people gathered together for St. Joseph’s Tribute Dinner on October 20 – and were inspired by the many messages of courage, conviction and determination. The compelling stories about four patients’ care journeys and the commitment from the team at St. Joseph’s Ivey Eye Institute set the...
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Creating pharmacists of tomorrow

London, Ontario - As the complexity of chronic diseases evolve – and rates rise in Canada – St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) is helping to create a new generation of pharmacists with expertise in outpatient care of a rapidly growing patient population. St. Joseph’s has launched a...
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Mary MacLeod

Mary MacLeod dedicates 40 years to volunteering

Volunteer Mary Macleod is among the recipients celebrating a 40-year career milestone.  Here’s her story. For more than four decades, Mary Macleod has been a steadfast and dedicated volunteer at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s). Volunteering both her time and talents, Mary reflects...
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Helen Berner sitting on a couch

Supporting the Sisterhood

Helen Berner knows why accessing the latest state-of-the-art breast imaging equipment is so important – it helped save her life. One morning while in the shower she discovered a grape-sized lump under her breast. At first, she didn’t think too much about it, but as the days passed she became more...
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Knowledge, support and sisterhood - the power of BRA Day

It’s so much more than people at a podium. Those who attend Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day at St. Joseph’s Hospital will be immersed in a sisterhood of support and a sense of community like no other. And they will leave with knowledge gained directly from experts on the frontlines of care...
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Dan fisherman and veteran on boat

Hooked on helping

When asked how many fish he caught on a recent salmon run in Owen Sound Ontario, retired Master Corporal Dan Hawco says, “Just one, but, even though a fishing trip can quickly move from feast to famine, there is one f that is constant in every outing, friendship.” Dan grew up fishing off the coast...
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Revrand Mother Ignatia

The enduring legacy of Mother Ignatia

When the Sisters of St. Joseph first stepped off the train in London to begin their journey of healing in Southwestern Ontario, it was Mother Ignatia Campbell who would lead this compassionate charge. Opening Mount Hope in 1869, initially a home for orphans and the aged, Mother Ignatia would go on...
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Gardening together

Gardening for the mind, body and spirit

Digging into the benefits of gardening is quickly growing into an empowering and healing activity for mental health care patients at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s). Recreation therapists at the Finch Family Mental Health Care Building at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute recently...
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