Celebrating five years of changing care for patients at the West 5th Campus
Tara Richardson began dieting as young as 12 years old. She soon began to suffer from a severe eating disorder, depression and feelings of suicide. At 17 years old, Tara was hospitalized at St. Joe's.
"It was a really bleak time," Tara recalled. "I was suicidal and I was acting on those suicidal urges – I just did not want to be alive."
Tara is one of thousands of patients who have come to St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) to receive care for mental illness. Once a patient, Tara now works for our West 5th Campus as a Peer Support Provider.
"To go from being hopeless, to having so much hope and being able to hold a hope for other people, it's just amazing."
On February 8, Tara bravely shared her journey with mental illness and her experience with SJHH at a celebration event held in honour of the 5th anniversary of the Margaret and Charles Juravinski Centre for Integrated Healthcare, also well-known as West 5th.
"Celebrating five years in the West 5th space is about celebrating all of the work we do at St. Joe's, across all of our sites, and into our community," said Winnie Doyle, Interim President for SJHH.
It also means celebrating our staff and volunteers, who showed their enthusiasm when we asked them why they like working at SJHH.
WATCH: Staff & Volunteers Celebrate 5 Years at West 5th
The West 5th Campus was inspired by the notion of light, designed to create an environment that was comforting, safe and respectful, with a goal to reduce the stigma often associated with mental illness.
WATCH: Our West 5th Campus – 5 Years Strong