Gael Miles and Wellspring Chinguacousy
 In 2005 Gael Miles, working as a community volunteer, undertook to establish a Wellspring Cancer Support Centre to serve the Brampton and Caledon communities. Her motivation for doing this was based on her own personal experience as a cancer survivor. After being diagnosed with breast cancer the previous year, Gael realized there were minimal supports in our community to help cancer patients deal with the fear and stress this disease brings. She could not stand to see others face cancer alone.
Gael’s commitment and dedication resulted in a state-of-the-art cancer support centre being built, and three years operating capital being raised prior to opening the centre. She organized teams of citizens and community leaders, then managed a campaign that raised almost $5 million in cash and in-kind donations. She personally approached many of Brampton and Caledon’s leading businesses to ask for their support… and in most cases, she got it.
Wellspring Chinguacousy has been open since March, 2008, and to date has received more than ten thousand visits by cancer patients and their families. The centre currently offers 25 cancer support programs at no cost to the people attending. The centre also engages 128 active volunteers, many of them who have themselves been touched by cancer and want to help others.
The programs and support services provided by the staff and many volunteers at Wellspring Chinguacousy help tremendously to improve the lives of people who have been impacted by cancer. Wellspring gives them hope, and the assurance they do not have to face cancer alone.
Now that the centre is up and running, Gael has made a further five-year commitment to continue raising funds to run programs and to grow Wellspring’s permanent endowment with the Brampton and Area Community to ensure cancer support services will continue in our community far into the future.
As a direct result of Gael’s leadership and dedication, the Brampton and Caledon communities now have an incredible new resource to support people afflicted with cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society’s statistics estimate that 44% of men and 38% of women will experience cancer in their lifetimes. Based on these statistics, as many as 180,000 Brampton and Caledon residents may be diagnosed with this life-threatening disease at some time in their lives. For these thousands of people, Wellspring Chinguacousy offers help and hope.
Representatives from other communities across Canada (e.g. Edmonton, Ottawa, Halifax, etc.) have visited Wellspring Chinguacousy, and have been inspired enough to initiate their own campaigns to build similar cancer support centres in their communities.
Under Gael Miles’ leadership, Wellspring Chinguacousy has made a strong commitment to reach out to all people in our community, regardless of culture, age, gender, income level, education or sexual orientation. Wellspring Chinguacousy strives to reflect our community’s cultural populations in its Board of Directors, Working Committees and volunteers. All programs are available to anyone free of charge, and with absolutely no barriers due to gender, race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation or other life circumstance.
The centre provides free transportation by volunteer drivers for people who could not otherwise attend the programs. Child care services are also provided to parents at no cost who would not be able to attend because of child care needs. Peer support services are provided to cancer patients and their families by volunteers from different cultures, and in a number of languages. Wellspring has developed innovative programs that accommodate specific cultural or religious restrictions.
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