Donation boosts Joseph Brant Hospital's oncology department

Local artisan Joyce Sharkey provided a $500 boost to the oncology department at Joseph Brant Hospital this week.

Sharkey, whose life has been touched by cancer, launched her jewellery business Made for You by Jo in October 2020 and started giving back right away. "It is my intention to give every year," she said in an email to BurlingtonToday. "The first year, I gave $300 to cancer research, then this year I made the donation to the oncology department at Joseph Brant."

Sharkey creates handmade earrings, necklaces and bracelets using sterling silver and incorporates accents such as Swarovski crystals, pearls or semi-precious stones, and pieces can be customized or special-ordered. For the most part, she has been been selling her creations locally: once a month at the hospital, at artisans' markets and through home parties. 

"I have worked in the fashion industry, selling casual clothes, bridal and evening wear for the past 48 years," said Sharkey. "I now design accessories to complement fashionable attire."

And she is committed to supporting a cause she believes in.

"I am a breast cancer survivor, so when I started my jewellery business Made For You By Jo, I decided to donate $1 from each sale to breast cancer," she said. Sharkey noted that she also wanted to support the oncology department because her mother was recently a patient, and was provided excellent care.

"We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful facility in our city," she said in a social media post.