Giving Back to Her Home of 20 Years

Florence “Flo” Leet is famous at St. Peter’s Hospital. Everyone who passes her in the halls knows her name. Flo humbly credits her fame to the fact that she’s been a resident at St. Peter’s Hospital for 20 years.

Flo suffered a stroke in the mid-nineties and was admitted for care at St. Peter’s Hospital.

“St. Peter’s Hospital is a home away from home,” says Flo. “The teams take really good care of me here.”

“When I had my stroke, my family was told that I would not live past three days,” explains Flo. “That was 20 years ago, and I’m currently enjoying life now more than ever.”

Throughout the years, Flo has received care at both St. Peter’s Hospital and Hamilton General Hospital for numerous other conditions: surgery and rehabilitation for a broken neck; a procedure to close a deep cut on her foot; extreme arthritis in her hands, arms and back; hearing loss; angina; and surgery to repair eight holes in her stomach, an incident which motivated her to quit smoking for good. She currently undergoes physiotherapy three times a week at the Medically Complex Unit in St. Peter’s Hospital.

“St. Peter’s Hospital is a home away from home,” says Flo. “The teams take really good care of me here.”

Flo praises all the staff at St. Peter’s Hospital for their compassion and expertise, including Dr. Myles Sergeant, who Flo describes as “good as gold.”

She keeps herself occupied by participating in the many activities available for patients, including arts and crafts. Music has always been an important inspiration in her life. She started playing violin at age 4 and spends her days writing her own songs.

Flo is particularly excited to take part in the second annual Walk Around the Block as a Patient Ambassador. She is a member of Team Roadrunner and uses her expertise as a former business owner to sell books at the Hospital to fundraise for the event.

“St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation needs the support of the community,” says Flo. “It’s important because you never know when you’ll need the help.”

Visit Walk Around the Block to register a team or make a donation.