1912-2003

One of the marvelous things about a person who can look back on a life well lived is that they are more than willing to share their life's knowledge – free of charge. Let me share with you something a friend of mine once said:

“My father used to say that ‘money is only good for what it can do for you .”

I always thought that sentence was too long by two words”
– Helen McMillan

We lost Helen McMillan of St. Thomas in 2003. Helen answered that question by finding a way to honour someone she loved – admired and respected – her father Dr. James Davis. That commitment is being fulfilled today with the announcement that Helen McMillan has chosen to honour someone she loved with an incredible gift of $3,000,000 to fund research through Jesse's Journey .

Helen McMillan had a remarkable life. It was in the eastern Ontario town of Gananoque that Helen McMillan was born in 1912. The daughter of a doctor, Helen and her younger brother Tom grew up enjoying life as teenagers in the heart of the Thousand Islands .

Helen met her future husband Jim McMillan on a blind date in 1947. Shortly before their April 21st, 1951 marriage in Gananoque, Jim was appointed to the bench in St. Thomas . Helen made frequent trips home to Gananoque to visit her parents. Over time she would eventually be making the trip to Gananoque to look after her brother Tom, who had returned to Canada after contracting Rheumatoid Arthritis while serving overseas.

Helen recalled those trips to Gananoque with fondness. She said she could leave St. Thomas after work and be in Gananoque by midnight in the two-door Chevrolet coupe that she bought in 1939. In remembering those road trips to eastern Ontario she would smile thinking back about how frugal she had been. She was the proud owner of a car that had 1800 miles on the speedometer when she bought it for $500 during the time she was working at Westminster Hospital in London . Helen McMillan's father – Dr. Davis – was born in 1875 and was an honours graduate in medicine from the University of Western Ontario . Helen often recalled how her dad was a strong proponent of research as the road to a better future.

For Helen's father the flu epidemic of 1918-1919 was extremely difficult. During that time the three physicians practicing in Gananoque worked day and night, missing meals and sleep, in order to attend to the very sick and dying as best they could.

Helen's father died in August 1948.

Helen McMillan was interested in research from an early age. Late in life she was still interested in the future and the role that research could play in that future. Like her father she never wavered in wanting to improve the lives of others.

The Foundation for Gene and Cell Therapy is honoured that Helen McMillan of St. Thomas decided to pay tribute to her father with a lasting gift to research through Jesse's Journey. Helen Patricia McMillan's incredible act of kindness – will benefit generations of children in the future. Her remarkable understanding of the benefits of research – reflects the measure of a woman whose gift to science will live on in Southwestern Ontario through the Helen McMillan-Jesse Davidson research laboratory at the Lawson Health Research Institute.

More than anyone I know – Helen McMillan knew that ….. it's your journey too! We thank her for her thoughtfulness and her incredible generosity.