Jennifer Ashleigh Clements was born on April 19, 1989, the same day her grandfather, Norm Clements, celebrated his 50th birthday. Just weeks after her birth, Jennifer was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a rare genetic disorder. Despite the love surrounding her, Jennifer passed away in October that year, at just six months old. Years later (after our charity was founded), her younger sister, Danica, was diagnosed with the same illness and sadly passed away.
During Jennifer’s time at The Hospital for Sick Children, Norm met other families facing the same emotional upheaval. Many of these families did not have the financial resources or network of support his family had. He saw how the costs of travel, accommodations and basic daily living needs could quickly overwhelm families already in crisis. Additionally, he was alarmed by number of unexpected costs not covered by OHIP or private healthcare insurance that families were faced with. Moved by compassion, he was determined to help.
On a winter evening in February 1990, Norm, his daughter Mary (Jennifer’s mom), and close friends, family and colleagues gathered to form the Jennifer Ashleigh Foundation. Their mission was clear: to honour Jennifer’s memory by providing financial support to families caring for seriously ill children, stepping in “when love is not enough.”
Over the years, the charity, now named Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity, has grown from a small, volunteer-led effort to a province-wide lifeline to families with children facing a significant medical crisis. We’ve helped over 18,500 children across Ontario, covering urgent expenses such as travel to/from hospital, accommodations so families can remain close during hospital stays and medical equipment or supplies to aid in a safe transition home. Every dollar we give to eligible families comes solely from the generosity of private donors, corporate partners, and charitable foundations who share our belief that no family should face a child’s medical crisis alone. The charity receives no government or United Way funding.
From those first meetings in Norm’s living room to our modern online application portal, our mission to help remains the same: providing timely financial support to families caring for children in medical crisis, when they need it most.
We are proud of our 35+ years of impact made possible by the compassion of our community, the dedication of our staff and volunteers, and the vision of those who believed that Jennifer’s legacy could change lives. Together, we continue to make a difference, one family at a time.
We invite you to be part of our story by becoming a donor, volunteer or by sharing our story within your network. Whether you choose to become a monthly donor, make a one-time contribution, provide an in-kind donation of goods or services or volunteer your time and talents…we are not able to continue our mission without every day people like you.
