Janet Griffin and Jock MacDonald

When Janet Griffin’s mother, then 82, underwent hip replacement surgery at a downtown Toronto hospital, Janet learned two things.

First, when the surgeon suggested that her mother could go home 48 hours after surgery, Janet realized that wasn’t an option, given that she would be in the care of her 83-year-old husband, in a house with lots of steps. “People need a place other than acute care to recover and get to a point where they can function safely on their own,” she says. Ultimately her mother was sent to a downtown rehab hospital for a month.

She also realized that it was important to have rehab facilities close to home. To visit his wife from their Etobicoke home, Janet’s father had to drive to the subway, change trains, and then walk to the hospital.

“By the time he got to Mum he’d be exhausted. If she’d been placed at West Park, Dad could have spent more time with her.”

Janet grew up in Etobicoke, in one of the first houses built in Richmond Gardens. She completed a degree in chemistry, worked as a chemist, and then went back to school for an MBA. Her career as an investment banker focused on the biotech industry, a match for her interest in medicine and science. Along the way, she raised three children. “It’s not common,” she says, “but if you organize yourself right, you can do it!”

Her interest in health care led her to join the board of Comprehensive Care International, a company that shares cancer care know-how globally, in 2004. Founder Katherine Jones, who became a friend, was connected with West Park. When the Chair of the Foundation’s Finance and Audit Committee was leaving, Janet was approached to step into the role. She soon realized that West Park was a close neighbour to the house where she grew up. “West Park is a hidden gem with outstanding care, important programs and an amazing staff,” she says. “Acute care may save your life, but West Park will help you get your life back.” Janet is now Vice Chair and Treasurer of the West Park Foundation Board.

Janet and her husband Jock MacDonald recently made a gift of $100,000 to name an inpatient terrace in the new building. The terraces, surrounded by glass railings, will overlook the Humber Valley and the trails, gardens and courtyards of the West Lawn. They will feature raised ornamental gardens and overhead canopies to protect patients and families from sun and rain.

Janet is passionate about the impact of nature on human health. “There’s a lot of science that tells us that an absence of nature leads to higher stress and anxiety,” she says. “If patients are already anxious about their health, it makes sense to add something that will reduce stress. Nature is a great healer.” Janet looks forward to seeing the next phase of development, the landscaping of the West Lawn.

But before that happens, the hospital building will open early next year. “It’s taken decades of work to get from sketches to reality,” she says. “It’s so exciting to see the culmination of all that work. The building is a platform on which we can deliver exceptional care for another generation.”

This story originally appeared in the 2023 Report to Donors. Click here to read the full report.