Jay’s Story

Jay Richardson splits his time between Toronto and South Georgian Bay and has owned a home in the area for more than 25 years. Over the years, this community has become an important part of his life.

Seven years ago, after a biking accident, Jay was brought to CGMH for an assessment. During what could have been an overwhelming experience, he felt supported, reassured, and genuinely cared for. The attention and compassion he received left a lasting impression.

While his visit on that occasion included being sent home (still riding his thankfully not damaged bicycle) after X-rays and a CT scan with what was fortuitously diagnosed 4 days later as a compression fracture of T-11 in his back, he bears no ill feelings for that “miss” as he recognizes that we are all just humans and there was no further treatment after that subsequent “catch” and no ill aftereffects. His lasting impression is the quality of care and responsiveness – and the knowledge that CGMH is there for him, his family, and the entire community, including many visitors (and he remembers how many visitors he sent to the earlier days of CGMH in the 1960s as an Osler Bluffs ski patroller!). He happily refers to himself as just an “extraordinarily lucky and blessed individual.

When asked why he chooses to give back, Jay points to the future. With a new hospital on the horizon, he believes in supporting a place that made him feel safe and cared for. Knowing he can play a role in strengthening care for the community is what matters most to him.