The women who’ve shaped the health care journeys of Island kids for nearly a century

In the mid-1920s, there wasn’t a single facility on Vancouver Island–or indeed, the entire province–dedicated to caring for the health needs of children. As a result, kids with challenges like polio, clubfoot, or tuberculosis struggled to access the care they desperately needed.

But, at a time in history when women were far from equal to men, it was the voices of women across British Columbia who called for change and fought for access to health care for Island children.

A mother who wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer

This story of dedicated women begins on Hornby Island in 1922 with Edith Scott and her stepdaughter, Polly. One day, when Polly was 10 years old, Edith saw her crawling home from school on her hands and knees, across the field.

Polly was in so much pain that she couldn’t walk. She had been injured on the playground and was later diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis.

At the time, no hospital in BC had a responsibility to care for children. Edith appealed to the Women’s Institutes across BC for their help so Polly could get the health care she needed.

According to Ruth Fenner, a historian with the BC Women’s Institute, Edith had exhausted nearly all other possibilities for help when she wrote to Mrs. V.S. MacLachlan, who was the Secretary-Treasurer of the BC Women’s Institutes at the time.

The women who fought to get BC’s first children’s hospital built

Moved by Edith’s letter, Mrs. MacLachlan spoke to members of the Central Park Women’s Institute in Vancouver and gained their support—she requested that the members work together to help not only Polly, but all children with health challenges in the province.

Women’s Institute branches across BC rallied together to fundraise, and with an additional donation from King George and Queen Mary, the Queen Alexandra Solarium for Crippled Children opened in Mill Bay. The institution would later become the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health, and eventually Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island.

Polly was one of the Solarium’s first patients in 1927.

“Polly was someone who [as a child] had been funded by the public. But she then became a contributing member of society—and it was because she got medical treatment when she needed it,” says Ruth.

“I admire those women who had the guts to fight for something,” she adds.

Carrying the torch of generosity and community leadership

Several generations later, we continue to see women stepping up to make sure Island children, youth, and families are supported in their health care journeys.

Women like the late Margaret Smith, whose remarkably generous legacy gift of $2.5 million will have an impact for years to come.

And women like Annie Huus, one of Margaret’s closest friends. They were neighbours for more than 50 years. During this decades-long friendship, Margaret grew close with Annie’s late daughter Lisa Huus, who lived with infantile muscular atrophy.

While she had many limitations physically, Lisa was intelligent, she had a strong zest for life, and she was determined to go to post-secondary school. She attended Cordova Bay Elementary, Royal Oak Middle School, Claremont Secondary, and was attending her third year at the University of Victoria when she passed away.

To honour Lisa’s legacy, her family created the Lisa Huus Memorial Fund in 1988, which would support other youth with physical health challenges to attend or continue their post-secondary education. Led by Annie and administered by the Foundation, the bursary is about to open for the 37th year and has disbursed more than 142 bursaries and $679,000 to date – in large part thanks to the transformative gift Margaret left in her will.

Women fuel our day-to-day work

A century after Edith Scott stood up for Island kids, it’s women who follow in her footsteps. From our 87% female staff team, to our 53% female Board of Directors, to the volunteers in our Homes Away From Home, to our donors and supporters, to the parents we support – the biggest advocates for their kids. Our Foundation benefits from the strength, foresight, creativity, and action of women every single day.

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the power of women, the power of community, and a century of inspiring women – mothers, grandmothers, aunties, sisters – who refused to take ‘no’ for an answer.

The ones who’ve made it possible for thousands of Island kids to get the health care they need and deserve.