In November 2008, my brother and sister-in-law, Vito and Sandra Bigioni and husband and I, Peter Soumalias and Giorgina Bigioni, hosted a fundraising event with Canadian legendary musical recording artist Gordon Lightfoot to support children with disabilities at Holland Bloorview. This event was held in the hospital’s atrium. There were about 100 people in attendance,…
As Chair of the Board of Trustees at Holland Bloorview I always felt honoured to play a part in this amazing organization. My favourite memories were the opportunities I had to meet the children at Holland Bloorview who were always so inspiring and filled with optimism for their futures and their ability to fulfill their…
Back in the 1980’s I drove for Travelways and picked up residents to go to school. At that time, it was located at Buchan Court. I have such fond memories of the experience. Great people. Two regulars on my bus were Bruce Denman and Chris Brown. It was one of the best experiences in my…
I am a proud past Chair of the Holland Bloorview Board. I couldn’t have imagined a more exceptional organization to work with and learn from. We watched the amazing Holland Bloorview team, working with clients and families, soldier through the pandemic years. The hospital proved itself to be a nimble and caring place, where staff…
I have many connections to Holland Bloorview: my grandmother and aunt were nurses at the hospital; my brother Michael was a client; and I had the privilege to serve on the Board and as Chair. Across an array of memories, what stands out were the opportunities I had to engage directly with other clients and…
It is hard to choose just one memory. I was privileged to get my dream therapeutic rec placement as a student in the playroom and then eventually be hired to inpatient TR team, and then moved on to be a Volunteer Coordinator. One memory that stands out as a student is being able to plan…
My favourite memories from the past 10 years working here are my interactions with the Therapeutic Clowns. I see them frequently on the inpatient unit and I love watching how they interact with clients to make them laugh. They have also made me laugh with one-on-one interactions as well. I sincerely miss Dr. Flap but…
I’m excited about my innovative volunteer role with Dr. Sharon Wong’s Commercialization team in BRI, and Dr. Elaine Biddiss’ startup PEARL Interactives team—specifically, working with Alexander Hodge on Bootle Blast game developments. Through this role, I apply my gaming and coding knowledge to help my sister and kids like her by “finding the fun” in…
Our daughter Abigail has been a patient at Holland Bloorview for many years and the care she receives from all the health care professionals there is phenomenal. Abigail sees her pediatrician, nurses, OT, PT and social workers there on a regular basis and one person in particular I have to mention is Christa Bell…she has…
