Jane Darville fought stigma during the AIDS crisis with Princess Diana's visit

Jane Darville helped lead Casey House in Toronto during the late 1980s AIDS crisis and has been named to the Order of Canada; the article recalls Princess Diana's 1991 visit that drew public attention and eased stigma.

Jane Darville helped bring care and comfort to people living with HIV/AIDS in the late 1980s, when fear and stigma made palliative work difficult. She was a founding board member and later executive director of Casey House in Toronto, and also led Vancouver's Canuck Place Children's Hospice. Casey House opened in 1988 as a hospice focused on people with AIDS and adapted its services as treatments and community needs changed. Darville has recently been appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of her decades of leadership in palliative care. Key facts: - Casey House opened in 1988 as a hospice for people with AIDS; treatments were limited at the time and many residents were seriously ill. - Jane Darville helped found and lead Casey House and later served as executive director of Canuck Place Children's Hospice. - Early fundraising and staffing were difficult because of public stigma and homophobia, which made the hospice's work harder to sustain. - In 1991 Princess Diana visited Casey House, spending time with residents and drawing public attention that helped change perceptions. Summary: Darville's leadership at Casey House and in children's palliative care is credited with bringing compassionate care to people affected by HIV/AIDS and with helping reduce stigma through visibility and advocacy. Undetermined at this time.