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

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Forward focused

Growing up, Natasha Smids loved sports and animals. A natural athlete, she played everything from soccer and badminton to rugby and basketball. And with more than one pet at home and surrounded by farms, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian technician specializing in large animals. And so, once she graduated from high school, Natasha headed off to the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus to fulfill her career plans, with her large extended family cheering her on. Those plans came crashing down when Natasha had a tragic accident during her winter break, when she severely injured her neck...

Unlocking boundless potential

Ashmeet Gill had her first PET/CT scan shortly after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the body’s germ-fighting immune system. She was nervous. Claustrophobia is an issue for the young Stratford resident and the scan, necessary to determine if the cancer had spread beyond the...

From film to focus

On the cusp of graduating from the Advanced Photography Program at Fanshawe College in 1990, Christopher Lincoln was offered an out of the blue proposition. “Who wants to work in a hospital?” a program instructor asked the group of budding photographers. Not knowing exactly what it would mean for...

Fueling lifelong learning

Working as a nurse for more than 35 years, Jeannette Lydestad, RN, has taken many opportunities to further her education. “Learning new things always keeps your mind active and young,” she says. Recently, Jeannette realized her family needed the security of a full-time role – something not available...

A woman (Tricia) leaning up against a glass railing

Finding the strength

Tricia never expected she’d be starting the fight of her life when she went to St. Joseph’s for a routine mammogram. There were no signs that anything was wrong – she didn’t feel a lump. But her mother had faced breast cancer before, and Tricia asked her doctor to sign her up annual mammograms just...

Symphonic serenity

Ken Fleet’s motto was ‘sing your song’. Whether he was teaching choral and instrumental students at Medway High School, conducting the Amabile Boys and Men’s Choirs, or preparing for national competitions – music fueled his soul. A local music legend and a beloved husband, father, grandpa and...

Building relationships, improving mobility and cheering on progress

He was dealing with a stubborn foot injury at the time and his parents had difficulty finding a physiotherapist- when they finally did, he recalls feeling enthralled. “I remember being impressed at how present he was with me, how skilled he was.” Today, Raj works as a physiotherapist in the...

Cervical cancer w/Dr. Robert Di Cecco - DocTalks Podcast: Season 4, Episode 30

Each year, about 1,550 Canadians are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 400 will die from it. Yet cervical cancer can be prevented with regular cervical screening and follow-up of abnormal results. On this episode of the DocTalks Podcast, host Ian Gillespie chats with Dr. Robert Di Cecco an...

A man (Neil Pasricha) standing on stage at a podium

The 2024 Breakfast of Champions was worth waking up for

If there’s one word to describe the 2024 Breakfast of Champions, it’s this one: awesome . An excited crowd of close to 1,200 people woke up early and came together at RBC Place London on Tuesday, May 7 for this year’s event. It was a high-energy morning spent celebrating people making a difference...

St. Joseph’s nurses making a difference

As we mark National Nursing Week May 6 - 12, St. Joseph’s recognizes the 1,400 hard working nurses for the significant work they do and the integral role they play in the health care system. The Canadian Nurses Association theme this year is ‘Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow.' We acknowledge nurses’...