A dedicated and passionate philanthropist, W. Galen Weston, was a special friend of UHN.
Over a 30-year period, the Weston Family and The Weston Family Foundation have donated more than $12.3 million to many UHN programs, including the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, the Krembil Brain Institute, the Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Toronto Rehab and the Mental Health Program.
Galen also served on the Advisory Council of Tourette Syndrome Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital.
A visionary retailer, he passed away on April 12, at age 80.
"UHN Foundation is deeply saddened by the death of Galen Weston," said UHN Foundation CEO Tennys Hanson. "Those of us who had the privilege of meeting Galen will remember him as a gracious, thoughtful and generous man."
Two of Galen's sisters, Camilla Dalglish and the late Miriam Burnett, also deeply championed major fundraising initiatives at UHN, including the Dalglish Family 22q Clinic and the Miriam L. Burnett Fellowship in Electrophysiology.
In 2014, The Weston Family Foundation launched a neuroscience branch called the Weston Brain Institute, which supports translational research to accelerate new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases of aging including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. As part of this initiative, Galen showed a keen interest in deep brain stimulation and invited neurosurgeon Dr. Andres Lozano from the Krembil Brain Institute to serve as one of the founding Scientific Advisory Committee members.
Since then, many UHN researchers have benefited from the generous support Weston Brain Institute. Dr. Anthony Lang of the Krembil Brain Institute received the 2018 International Outstanding Achievement Award from the Weston Brain Institute for his world-renowned research in Parkinson's disease.
Galen Weston's vision to improve the brain health of Canadians will be one of his enduring legacies.
