Discover CanChild

Donna Thomson

Family Engagement Co-Developer and Co-Instructor

A woman with short, light-colored hair and a bob haircut, wearing a jacket and turtleneck, smiles slightly while outdoors. The photo is in black and white.

Biography

Donna Thomson is a caregiver, author, and activist. She is the mother of two grown children, one who has severe cerebral palsy and medical complexity. Donna is the co-author (with Dr. Zachary White) of The Unexpected Journey of Caring: The Transformation of Loved One to Caregiver (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019) and author of The Four Walls of My Freedom: Lessons I’ve Learned From a Life of Caregiving (McArthur and Co., 2010 and The House of Anansi Press, 2014). She blogs regularly at The Caregivers’ Living Room. Donna is the past Vice-Chair and board director of Kids Brain Health Network and is a leader and instructor in family engagement in health research. She is a co-designer and co-instructor of the Family Engagement in Research Course and the facilitator of the Caregiving Essentials Course, both at McMaster University.

Area of Focus

Family and caregiving, Complex Care, Cerebral Palsy, Life Course