Our History
“When you dream, do not be realistic and fit your dream to what exists and is possible. Fit your dream to what should exist, and should be possible.”--Casey House Founding Volunteer June Callwood
Founded in 1988, Casey House is Canada’s first stand-alone treatment facility for people with HIV/AIDS, and one of the first in the world.
In the mid-1980’s as the disease of HIV/AIDS began to show up first in Toronto’s gay population, little was known about the illness. It was a time of tremendous fear and ignorance about HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. Many people died alone, cut off from the support of family and friends because of stigma and misplaced fear.
Our founders’ wise response was to forge ahead in creating a home environment in which people with HIV/AIDS could be cared for with dignity and acceptance, and love. That group of brave pioneers included writer and activist June Callwood.
Learning as they went along, our founders created a brand new understanding of what a hospice can be. They introduced a newly-created holistic approach to dying and changed the standard of care for people with a terminal illness. Casey House was at the vanguard of an international movement. We remain so today.
Read about Casey House today
Who was Casey?