In 2018, the Horne family suffered the catastrophic loss of a family member. Paul Horne was a decorated military veteran who served in Bosnia, and a highly respected Detective Inspector with the Ontario Provincial Police. Paul lived with post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) caused by on-the-job trauma, and tragically took his own life.
The Horne family began to connect with other families who had also lost loved ones in first-responder roles due to trauma. The magnitude of the mental health crisis among first responders became strikingly apparent.
In response to this tragedy, members of the Horne family, led by Paul’s mother Marjorie, sister Lesley, brother Rob and Rob’s partner Wendy, collaborated with HRI to establish a Memorial Fellowship to advance research and discoveries that will serve to improve and ultimately save the lives of first responders, including healthcare professionals, who live every day with trauma.
“Our partnership with HRI was a natural one,” says Paul’s brother, Rob.
“Paul was always about making a difference to people and communities in practical ways. Because HRI applies its research findings to real people who suffer as he did, we know he would be very proud of this initiative”.
Your donation to the Horne Family Memorial Fellowship supports future post-doctoral fellows conducting research in PTSI and recovery with first responders and healthcare providers. Fellows will work alongside Dr. Margaret McKinnon, HRI Research Chair in Mental Health and Trauma, to conduct groundbreaking research that will make a difference in the lives of people experiencing trauma-related illnesses.
If your group or organization is interested in supporting first responders and healthcare workers through the Horne Family Memorial Fellowship, please contact us to book a presentation and learn more.