Our Stories

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

FMT team at St. Joseph's

‘Poop pill’ benefits may extend to treating kidney cancer, lung cancer and melanoma

Clinical trials suggest fecal transplants can prevent side effects in treating kidney cancer. It can also dramatically improve outcomes for people with lung and melanoma cancers. A groundbreaking study show that the toxic side effects of drugs to treat kidney cancer could be virtually eliminated with customized fecal microbiota transplants (FMT), a field where London excels. The discovery published in the prestigious Nature Medicine journal, was published simultaneously with another paper also in the same journal that suggests FMT is also effective in helping treat lung cancer and melanoma...
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Drs. Teasell and Fleet

Going strong

During her formative years of medical training, Dr. Jamie Fleet started learning about osteoporosis (loss of bone strength) and a seed was planted in her head. After a stroke, someone’s bone health and bone strength weakens rapidly. But she noticed there weren’t any guidelines for Canadian care...
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Breanne and Elysia in garden at Parkwood

Regaining life through leisure

When Elysa Spetgang was 21 years old, she had no idea the numbness and tingling in her feet would eventually lead to a medically induced coma and life support, a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome and an eight-month stay at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Parkwood Institute. For four months...
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Clintar landscaping workers standing in a field with tall grass and a hospital building in the background

A people-first partnership

As long-time supporters of St. Joseph’s Health Care London, Clintar embodies respect, excellence and compassion in all the ways it works to serve others. It is these shared values that have formed the foundation of a proud 20-year partnership between Clintar and St. Joseph’s. Members of the London...
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a group of cyclists in the rain

Off to the races

For Joe DiBrita, Tim Mason and Alfonso Campos Reales, there’s always been something special about being on a bike. The three friends all loved the freedom and excitement of riding their bikes when they were kids, and found the sport again as adults. “Whether commuting, riding road bikes, mountain...
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Debbie Grant

Both sides of the operating room

Debbie Grant understands the critical importance of investing in modern medical equipment, having witnessed firsthand how state-of-the-art technology can save lives, including her own. In 2017, her life changed dramatically when an MRI for back pain revealed a mass on her kidney—a CT scan suggested...
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Thuvaraha Jeyakumaran

‘Outstanding work’ nets young researcher three awards

If science were a baseball game, Thuvaraha Jeyakumaran’s batting average would rank her an all-star in her first major-league season. For the third consecutive time, the research coordinator and knowledge-mobilization specialist at St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute has become an award-winner for three...
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Christine Boyd beside a bookshelf

Making meaningful change

Christine Boyd is an educator, a poet, and a mental health advocate making meaningful change at St. Joseph’s. She’s also a loving mother and grandmother. “I’m the mom of two amazing kids – a son and a daughter and between them, I have five grandchildren, who are the centre of my life,” she says. She...
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Maggie and Ruth seated outside in park

Effective care, less stress

For eight years, Maggie Perquin was a caregiver for her partner, Ruth, as she navigated life with Alzheimer’s. Throughout, Maggie was able to care for Ruth at home, until Ruth passed away in April 2023. During much of that time, Maggie was grateful for virtual care appointments with specialists and...
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Sam Ayoko, navigator

Bridging the digital divide in health care

Sam Ayoko doesn’t have a health background but for the patients he works with, he plays an invaluable role in their health care journey. In the ever-evolving landscape of health care, technology is playing an increasingly critical role in how we access medical services. Every day at London Heath...
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