Our Beginning

The Hubley family has been strongly committed to helping children suffering from mental health issues ever since their eldest son, Jamie, who suffered from depression, died by suicide in 2011. Working with community donors, and the CHEO Foundation since 2016, Wendy Hubley began her journey to help patients at CHEO by first redecorating and revitalizing the mental health department’s patient lounge, in loving memory of her beloved son. 

To date, this event has raised more than $230,000 and CHEO is very grateful that the Hubley family’s unwavering support for mental health care has been matched by the generosity of family, friends, and a caring business community.

Our mission is to conduct fundraising efforts to help CHEO provide dedicated beds and treatment programs for the youngest in need of in-patient mental health care. We know that early intervention leads to healthier outcomes during teen years and into adulthood.
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Prior to COVID-19, CHEO was facing a crisis with a 90 percent increase in mental health emergency visits since 2010. Layer in isolation and uncertainty from the pandemic, followed by fears about a child's battle with despair and anxiety, and that keeps this heartbreaking crisis in overdrive.

​CHEO Mental Health Statistics

• CHEO has the busiest Emergency Department for children/youth mental health presentations in the country, with close to 3,300 visits last year.

• Since 2010, CHEO has experienced a 90% increase in mental health emergency visits.
• Between 2014 and 2018, there was a 53% increase in the number of Emergency Department mental health visits in which suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt was identified as the primary diagnosis.
• In addition to emergency visits, CHEO also supports over 4,175 in-patient days, 9,340 out-patient visits and over 1,830 outpatient referrals.