A Legacy of Care: Honouring Dr. Indranee Thurairajah

Dr. Indranee Thurairajah devoted just under four decades of her life to psychiatry at CAMH. For her, it was never just a career but more a calling. And it brought her fulfillment every single day. When she passed away in February 2025, her daughter Lakshmi chose to honour her extraordinary life with a gift to CAMH in her name.

Dr. Thurairajah first trained as an eye surgeon in Sri Lanka. But after immigrating to Canada, she chose a different path. In the 1970s and 80s—when mental health was still highly stigmatized and misunderstood—she retrained as a psychiatrist, determined to offer care where it was most needed. Lakshmi remembers how deeply she cared for her patients and how passionate she was about helping people keep moving forward. In many ways, she was ahead of her time: accepting and compassionate at a time when not many people spoke openly about mental health. 

She worked at CAMH well into her seventies, only retiring when her health made it necessary. Even then, she never truly wanted to step away. Lakshmi recalls how her mother never understood the phrase “Thank God it’s Friday,” because she found joy in her work every day of the week. For her, her work was not something to escape from—it brought her a deep pride and purpose.

​This sense of connection extended beyond her clinical work. She loved the Queen West neighbourhood and supported local artists, filling her home with paintings from nearby galleries. To Lakshmi, this was another way her mother lived as part of something larger than herself.

A life spent helping others is never truly over. Dr. Thurairajah’s legacy continues in the lives she touched, the people she inspired and the future of care she helped build. Her story is a reminder that healing ripples outward—and that the people we honour can continue to shape the world for the better.