Recently, we had the opportunity to interview kidney transplant recipient and patient advocate, Bet Tuason. Bet’s powerful voice brings awareness to the issues affecting individuals living with complex chronic health needs. Using his diverse experience as a transplant recipient and kidney patient, Bet works tirelessly to empower his community through advocacy, partnership, and volunteer activities....
With each breath, Miranda Frigon effortlessly feels her ribs expand as air enters her healthy new lungs. This is actually, her third set of lungs, so the act of breathing – something most people take for granted – is significant for Miranda. It renews her hope for the future and is a reminder that her...
Living with kidney disease hasn’t been easy, but Sandy and her boys have risen to the challenge. Like most mothers, Sandy Fairey, would go to the ends of the earth for her children’s health and happiness. Upon learning two of her three sons had Alport syndrome, a condition characterized by kidney disease, hearing loss and...
Christine Kapeluck For Christine Kapeluck, transplantation has been truly transformative. At just 18 months old, she was diagnosed with Wilms tumour, a type of kidney cancer that, despite its rareness, is also highly treatable if caught early. Luckily for Christine, removal of the affected kidney rendered her cancer free and she went on to live...
It has been an exciting and invigorating year at the Transplant Research Foundation of BC (TRF). Our research portfolio continues to evolve as our partnerships become stronger, allowing for more diversity in the research we fund. 2019 was a robust year for our foundation, awarding $102,500 in direct research dollars to BC based scientists and...
Searching for Answers Early one spring morning in 1982, Earl Howell woke feeling unwell, with the whites of his eyes transformed into the color of lemons. A trip to the doctor gave an initial diagnosis of hepatitis, which proved incorrect and set Earl and his family on a tumultuous journey to find answers. Endless tests,...
A Brother’s Journey For as long as Josh Carriere McKenna can remember, transplantation has been part of his life. When Josh was just two years old, his family was uprooted from their home in the Lower Mainland and moved to Toronto in order to give his baby sister a fighting chance at survival. Born...
Growing up, Larry Worfolk always felt he had an expiration date hanging over his head. Born in 1958 with cystic fibrosis (CF), Larry understood most children didn’t make it to adolescence before they succumbed to the disease, “I grew up believing that I was living the last five years of my life.” When Larry was...
Life is defined by moments and events. Moments that transform how we view the world, define our priorities, and test our strength. Shelby Gielen clearly remembers the day her life changed. The second of four children, Shelby enjoyed an active lifestyle, and was busy preparing for a provincial swimming competition when she was struck with...
Once viewed as a last resort for individuals living with organ failure, transplantation is rapidly becoming the preferred treatment of choice for a variety of diseases. There has been a transformational shift in thinking about what constitutes post-transplant success with more attention than ever being given to quality of life. Dr. Tom Blydt-Hansen knows transplantation...