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Beverly and James Thompson standing in front medical imaging equipment

Generations of giving

Down-to-earth, quietly generous, and community minded are just a few of the words that come to mind when you think about Beverly and the late James (Jim) Thompson and their family. Along with the generations of the family that came before them, they have been enriching communities across Ontario for more 100 years. Bev, Jim and their family will be honoured at the 2024 St. Joseph’s Tribute Dinner this October in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to care and research at St. Joseph’s and their strong commitment to helping people in the local community and beyond. Born and raised...

Home for the holidays

In the fall, the thought of spending Christmas at home was a distant hope for Floyd Blanchard. The 80-year-old had suffered a stroke that left much of his body paralyzed. Shortly after his acute care, Floyd became an inpatient in the Stroke/Neurological Rehabilitation Program at Parkwood Institute...

The gift of caring

Twelve years ago, registered nurse Lyndsey Wintle, wondered what she could do to help bring a little extra holiday cheer to the older adult patient population she worked with in the mental health care program at St. Joseph’s. While brainstorming with colleagues around a table, little did she know...

Roger and Halle bring the ‘pawfect’ holiday cheer at Parkwood Institute

Roger Littlejohns, a volunteer at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute, jokingly admits that people sometimes forget his name when he starts his weekly shift– but they never forget Halle’s, his seven-year-old black lab. Every Tuesday, Roger and Halle give their time by providing pet therapy to...

Alice and her warrior grandfather

At a recent gathering of wise, diabetes “warriors” at St. Joseph’s Hospital, many of them in their senior years, there was a young visitor who took it all in – five-year-old Alice. They came to receive a St. Joseph’s Diabetes Half Century Award presented to patients with type 1 diabetes who reach 50...

Know your status

You can’t rely on symptoms to know if you have HIV. Tremendous progress has been made in the response to AIDS/HIV since the virus infection first emerged in the 1980s, but not enough. While HIV treatment now allows people to live much longer, healthier lives and is highly effective in preventing HIV...

Study reveals clinical factors linked to reduced mortality in injection drug users with heart valve infection

London researchers show importance of cardiac surgery and addictions counselling. Cases of endocarditis – infection of the heart valves – have risen dramatically in recent years as a result of the opioid crisis. In London, Ontario, 55 per cent of people who experience heart valve infections are...

Persevering through poetry

Melissa Weiler proudly holds her first self-published book. Entitled “Emotions”, it's a collection of thought-provoking poems written over a 30-year span. Many emanate feelings from her high school days. They are reflections on life, loss and all the mixed emotions of being a teenager. Melissa, 48...

A stroke of gratitude

Allan Campbell shares his story of recovery at both London Health Sciences Centre and Parkwood Institute after experiencing a devastating stroke. Like any other night, Allan Campbell went to bed after a long day of work. Little did he know that at 11:45 pm, his life would forever change. No longer a...

Resiliency and strength tame ‘uninvited visitor’ who never leaves

Mary Ann Morgan of London, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 60 years, is among this year’s recipients of St. Joseph's Diabetes Half Century Awards. Mary Ann Morgan calls it an “uninvited, unwelcome, very demanding, 24/7 visitor that wants its own way at any cost.” She could have become a...