A gift inspired by two generations of Waugh women

When Hayley Waugh first heard about Sinai Health’s fundraising campaign in support of mature women’s health, she knew she had come across something special.

She brought the idea to the other women who sit on the board of the Waugh Family Foundation.

“We usually bring proposals to the board individually,” says Hayley. “But when I heard about this initiative, I wanted to bring it to all the females on the board first, so we could pitch the idea to the board together.”

“When we made the presentation as a group, it was unanimous,” she adds. “Everybody wanted to support this amazing cause.”

Together, they made a generous $2-million commitment to the Weston and O’Born Centre for Mature Women’s Health.

Founded by Rick and Lynne Waugh in 2011, the Waugh Family Foundation has always been rooted in family. While Rick and Lynne have three sons, it’s their daughters-in-law, Hayley, Stacey and Lisa who are championing this gift to the Centre. Why?

"The Waugh women decided to make this donation because menopause affects nearly half of the world's population and yet is underrepresented in the world we live in today," says Stacey. "Women’s health is an area that more people need to be aware of so that our future generations are educated."

"Our inspiration really came from the fact that women often suffer in silence, particularly around issues related to menopause," adds Lisa. "This work felt important and overdue."

One year later, the Waugh family's gift is already making an impact on education and research at the Centre.

The Weston and O'Born Centre for Mature Women's Health – its expansion, and research and education initiatives – are all made possible thanks to the generosity of donors like the Waugh Family Foundation.

In the last year, donor funding has been critical in advancing education and research. Led by the Centre's Director, Dr. Wendy Wolfman, we welcomed three new fellows in mature women’s health and menopause – from Brazil, Israel and Kenya – and hired Dr. Paula Rochon as the Centre’s inaugural Director of Research. Dr. Rochon has spent her career dismantling research gaps in women's health and is advancing efforts to integrate sex and gender across more research at Sinai Health.

Lynne, Hayley, Stacey and Lisa met Dr. Rochon earlier this year to learn about her work.

"After meeting Dr. Rochon, something that really stuck with me was the extreme disparity in medical research between men and women," says Hayley. "I never realized how many holes there are in the medical system for women and how they just are not being supported."

Drs. Wolfman, Rochon and others at the Centre are working toward closing these gaps in women’s health. They’re developing more educational resources for patients and training new generations of women’s health experts. It makes the Waugh family hopeful for the future.

"There is so much to research and so much to learn," says Stacey. "I'm hopeful Dr. Rochon and the team at the Centre will be able to make a huge impact for future generations."

The next generation of the Waugh family is made up of nine grandchildren – six of whom are girls. When making this gift, Hayley, Stacey and Lisa couldn't help but think of their own families, and what this research could do not only for their daughters, but for women everywhere.

“Making this gift together reflects our shared commitment to supporting women across generations,” says Lisa. “I hope our support helps bring meaningful resources to women’s health so fewer people have to suffer and future generations have the knowledge and support to live their best lives.”

They also hope to inspire more women – including their own daughters – to continue this legacy of generosity.

"It is comforting to know that our donation will make a difference, not only in their lives, but to all women," says Hayley. "As a family, we hope to inspire our children and continue the legacy of the foundation that Lynne and Rick have created."

We are grateful to Lynne, Hayley, Stacey, Lisa and the Waugh Family Foundation for supporting mature women’s health for years to come. Invest in the future of women’s health with a donation of your own – make a gift today.