An Interview with Aggie Black Director of Health Services & Clinical Research and Knowledge Translation, Aggie Black is no stranger to the world of research. As a leader in practice-based research programming at Providence Health Care, Aggie knows the value of investing in organ donation and transplant science to improve patient care. Recently, Aggie embarked...
Growing up with a life-limiting illness did not stop 30-year-old Ali from dreaming big. Becoming a mother was one aspiration that Ali held close to her heart. However, her journey to motherhood did not come easily. Born with cystic fibrosis meant a childhood and adolescence filled with hospital stays, IV therapy and lung infections. At...
As a young couple, Niilo Edwards and Rachael Durie have endured more adversity than most people their age. After nearly a decade of marriage, they were faced with a shocking diagnosis that forced them to pause and re-examine the future. It was July 2018 when Niilo began experiencing persistent fatigue and a cough. As a...
Offering Support and Connection to Patients Seeking Kidney Transplantation with Christina Schellenberg and Jody Max Christina Schellenberg and Jody Max are two health care practitioners at St. Paul’s Hospital who are passionate about improving the overall health journey for patients living with end-stage renal disease and facing transplant. For many patients with kidney failure, transplantation...
“I remember each and every one of the patients that I have been lucky enough to look after – I learn something from every patient that I have cared for.” – Dr. Kathryn Armstrong In honor of heart month, we had the opportunity to catch up with BC Children’s Hospital pediatric cardiologist Dr. Kathryn Armstrong....
The transplanting of an organ is a complex undertaking, where the generous and selfless decision of one individual and family has the potential to transform the life of another person through the gift of donation. For 21-year-old Naomi Lee, a recent lifesaving heart transplant not only ended her struggle with end-stage heart failure, but it...
Forever my Hero While the world was grappling with a new and virulent virus, Dakota Meredith was facing her own battle. Diagnosed with colitis when she was just a young child, Dakota later developed autoimmune hepatitis. Eventually, this condition evolved into primary sclerosis cholangitis. Dr. Eric Yoshida at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) was instrumental in...
Music with Heart Catching up with Ashley Wey Last August, award-winning singer-songwriter Ashley Wey hosted a benefit concert in Victoria to spread awareness for organ donation and transplantation. This in-person and live-streamed event was well received by the community, with hundreds of dollars being raised to support organ donation and transplant research at TRF. For...
By Kennedie and Mikaela Maidment In the spirit of Father’s Day, we are delighted to have Kennedie and Mikaela Maidment serve as guest writers for our June blog! It is often said that the impact of organ donation extends far beyond the donor and recipient. For the Maidment sisters, whose dad underwent a liver transplant,...
On May 8, my curious, caring and happy daughter Addison will be celebrating a milestone I honestly wasn’t sure she – and we – would ever see: 10 years with her gifted heart. That’s 10 years of life, 10 years of growing, 10 years of learning new things, 10 years of loving and being loved....