For families living with sickle cell disease, care has often meant long drives, missed school and work, and hours spent travelling to downtown Toronto - on top of managing a serious, lifelong blood disorder. Until recently, children in Mississauga had to travel to SickKids for specialized care, even for routine visits.
That changed with the launch of Trillium Health Partners’ paediatric sickle cell clinic at the Credit Valley Hospital - bringing expert care closer to home, designed with families, not just for them.
Developed in partnership with SickKids, the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario and community members, the clinic was co-designed with people who have lived experience of the disease. Sickle cell disease most often affects people from Black communities, who have also faced long-standing barriers and bias within the health care system. Families shared that too often, they felt unheard or dismissed, especially during pain crises. Those experiences directly informed how this clinic was designed.
“My two children both have sickle cell disease, so this work is deeply personal,” says Lystra Beausoleil, a parent and peer research assistant who helped shape the clinic. “Being part of creating a space where families feel understood, respected and supported - close to home - means everything.”
Since opening, the clinic has received nearly 50 referrals, with about 80 children in Mississauga expected to be eligible for shared care. Families now receive coordinated medical and social support locally, reducing unnecessary travel while maintaining strong connections to specialty care.
Looking ahead, the clinic is focused on supporting smoother transitions to adult care and advancing a more equitable, inclusive model of care tailored to the needs of our growing and diverse community.
