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Introducing MGH Besties: colleagues turned friends at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) who help make every day positive and memorable for themselves, their teams and the patients they support. They’re part of the thousands of people at MGH who deliver high-quality care and nurture our culture of belonging, well-being and safety.
The MGH Besties series acknowledges these important relationships throughout our hospital and highlights how our staff work together to show up every day for our patients. We know working in healthcare can be tough and we know we rely on our colleagues and teams to get through all those moments together. What gets us through the good, the unpredictable and sometimes sad moments are our relationships – the trust, dependability, and honesty we have with others.
Karen Carruthers, Senior Laboratory Technologist and Dianna Wilson, Pathologist’s Assistant, work together in Histopathology at MGH. But their friendship started long before that and it’s only grown stronger with time.
They first met 26 years ago in the Biochemistry Lab. Karen had just been hired, while Dianna was already working as a Medical Laboratory Technician, as well as in the Outpatient Department and the IV team.
Karen reflects on the early days. “We were both trying to expand our families at the same time,” she says. “Our pregnancies overlapped. My children were born in 2002 and 2004 and Dianna’s were born in 2001 and 2003.”
“We would go out for coffee and our conversation would naturally drift to babies. We just clicked from there,” adds Dianna.
Through the years, their friendship evolved effortlessly. Over time, they became more than just coworkers. They became trusted confidants and constant sources of support for one another.
Now both working in Histopathology, Karen and Dianna collaborate daily. “Our work overlaps, so we support each other continuously, both during stressful moments and good times. Dianna has a vast knowledge of the department with her background in the lab as well as in nursing,” Karen says.
“We’ve grown professionally together and supported each other personally through so many chapters of life.”
Dianna adds “Karen always makes herself available at work and at home for anyone who needs help. She is a wealth of technical knowledge and a great troubleshooter. She supports me and any member of the team who needs a helping hand, work-related or otherwise.”
Their friendship has been an anchor in the often busy world of lab work. For Karen, having a close friend at work has made all the difference.
“It’s comforting to have someone you can trust completely. Dianna is a great listener. Sometimes when I’m having a bad day, we go out for a coffee break and she lets me vent without offering unsolicited advice or judgement. I try to be that for her too, because she has supported me countless times.”
Dianna agrees. “We’ve shared so much of life with one another, from births to illnesses, even funerals. Karen is a great sounding board and a voice of reason. I’m grateful to have grown up with her here at MGH.”
One of their favourite memories together includes taking their daughters to their first concert together. It was a Justin Bieber show and their girls were full of excitement. “Dinner, music and the joy on their faces is something we will never forget,” Karen shares.
When asked what they are most grateful for in each other, their respect for each other is deep and mutual.
“I am grateful that we are like-minded,” Karen shares. “We are both fierce protectors of our families and we share a mutual trust that has been built through years of sharing both professional and personal highs and lows. We are always there for each other.”
Dianna agrees, noting “Karen’s support is constant, even during the hardest moments. When I received my cancer diagnosis, Karen and her family put together a care package for me with loving, inspirational messages from her daughter and thoughtful gifts from her family. That meant the world to me. I'm grateful to have a friend that I can always count on.”
They highly respect each other in their daily work as well.
“I admire how Dianna carries herself,” says Karen. “She’s the first face people see when they come to the Histopathology department, and she has earned a reputation for being incredibly kind and helpful. Staff across the hospital seek her out.”
Dianna shares a similar appreciation for Karen. “She is a great leader, mentor and motivator. She supports the lab team and the wider community. She volunteers with the Special Olympics and her skating team, runs marathons for charity and walks for Williams Syndrome. Karen is always doing something for others. She is an inspiration.”
Through changes and challenges life can bring, their friendship has remained a joyful part of each other’s lives.
Dianna reflects “It’s wonderful for us to see new colleagues in the Lab who have so much in common with each other and have become good friends and wondering what the next 20 years will bring them.”
Are you a team member at MGH and have a bestie – or know of some besties – who you think would be a great fit for this series? Let us know at @email!
