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The Living ProofCanadian Transplant Association www.organ-donation-works.org
Issue #30 Spring 2010
Quebec 2010Counting down to the 5th
Canadian Transplant Games!
On Top of the World
Dale Shippam
NOTDAW
Events from across Canada
I Love You All...
Celebrating the life of Eva Markvoort
2 3
President - David [email protected]
Past President - Janet [email protected]
Vice-President West - Margaret [email protected]
Vice-President East - Amy [email protected]
Treasurer - Debbie [email protected]
Secretary - Kathy [email protected]
Membership Director - Neil [email protected]
Team Manager - Heather [email protected]
WTGF Councillor - Heather [email protected]
REGioNAL DiRECToRS
BC - Margaret [email protected]
AB - Jennifer [email protected]
SK - orest [email protected]
oN - Rob [email protected]
QC - Gaston [email protected]
NB - Mark [email protected]
Inside This Issue...
President’s Corner ...................................................................................... 3
Heart Recipient on Top of the World ................................................ 4
Benson Honoured for her Volunteer Work .......................................4
5th Canadian Transplant Games - Québec 2010 ........................... 5
Les 5e Jeux canadiens des greffés Québec 2010 ......................... 5
Less than 100 days until the 5th Canadian Transplant Games .................................................................. 6
Moins de 100 jours avant la tenue des 5e Jeux canadiens des greffés! .................................................... 6
5th Canadian Transplant Games: Quebec City, August 9–14, 2010 .......................................................... 7
Quebec Sports and Events Schedule ................................................ 7
Olympic Relay Honours Organ Recipients ...................................... 8
1200 kilometres of determination and hope: Breathing Life into the Future .............................................................. 9
B.C. Man Celebrates 10th Re-Birthday ............................................... 9
NOTDAW Events from across Canada ............................................ 10
Sealed With a Kiss .................................................................................... 11
“I Love You All... Love... Love... Love” ................................................ 11
MEMBERSHIP FEES
One Year Individual Membership $30.00
Two Year Individual Membership $50.00
Lifetime Individual Membership $300.00
One Year Family Membership $75.00
A family membership will include all related adults and children who live at the same address.
Neil Folkins, Membership Director, c/o 11649 St Albert Trail NW, Edmonton, AB T5M 3L6
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Do you have any articles or pictures to submit to the Living Proof newsletter?
If so, please forward to: Jennifer at [email protected] or Amy at
[email protected]. The deadline for the next edition is August 31, 2010.
Articles should be in Word doc or docx format (300 words or less) and pictures
as high resolution jpg files.
For regional reports and other interesting articles check out “The Members
Corner” on our website www.organ-donation-works.org (under About CTA).
President’s Corner David Smith, Kidney Recipient, Edmonton, AB
Hello everyone,
In less than three months, on Aug 9 – 14, transplant athletes from across Canada, along with our dedicated transplant friends from the USA, will be meeting in Quebec City to participate in the 5th Canadian Transplant Games. As the excitement builds for the games, the organizers are busy working on the finishing touches to ensure that transplant recipients, families, support people, donor families and the many volunteers and spectators will share an amazing experience at Laval University and other venues within the beautiful city of Quebec. If you are not sure the games are for you, please call at our toll free number (1-877-779-5991) for answers to all your questions about your participation, the events, or the overall games’ experiences.
We are all aware of the importance of organ and tissue donation and the need to reduce wait times for transplant across Canada. Well, some good news is just around the corner. The Canadian Blood Services have taken on the role of creating a national system to coordinate organ and tissue donation across the country for all provinces. They have been busy gathering information and input from organizations and individuals from coast to coast, including those directly involved in areas of organ donation awareness, pre- and post-transplant programs, related groups, and anyone from the general public with an interest in the positive effects this project will have. Still in its initial stages, we look for more exciting news in the upcoming weeks and months.
By reducing our national wait times, we may soon be able to share more of our experiences and laughter at the games with those who have been waiting at home or in the hospital for a lifesaving or life changing organ transplant. To all the groups actively involved in promoting organ and tissue donation awareness, and to the long list of those who make transplants happen, “Keep up the great work!”
See you in Quebec!
Dave
ON THE COvER
2010 Canadian Transplant Games
at Université Laval in Quebec
4 5
Congratulations to heart recipient, Dale Shippam, from Thunder Bay, Ontario, for his successful expedition to the North Pole. Shippam and his team, which included Dr. Heather Ross, a cardiologist from Toronto General Hospital, Dr. Michel White, Director of the Montreal Heart Institute, and two guides, journeyed to the North Pole to raise awareness for organ donation and transplantation, and to raise money for heart disease research.
The team departed from Toronto on March 30, and after making a brief stop in Oslo, Norway, they headed to Longyearbyen, Norway, to assemble their gear and make final preparations for their North
Pole trek. On April 5 the team was airlifted to Barneo, a Russian drifting ice base approximately 100 kilometers from the North Pole. From there a helicopter took them to their starting point, exactly 89 degrees north latitude.
Each team member traversed the ice and snow on cross country skis while pulling 35 to 40 kilograms of gear (mostly food, clothing, and shelter). The team was challenged by extreme weather, obstacles on the ice and even open water. Each day they covered between six and nine nautical miles, and often found that they would lose mileage due to the ice drifting while they slept. Finally, 11 days later, on April
15, at 9:21 a.m. they stood on the North Pole. Shippam is believed to be the first transplant recipient to literally stand at the top of the world.
Shippam received a heart
transplant in 1999 after a viral
infection damaged his own heart.
He undertook this adventure as
a way to honour the family who
bravely donated their loved one’s
organs. “To have adventures like
this after a transplant just proves
that organ donation does work,”
said Shippam, “It doesn’t seem
real to experience an adventure
like this after a new heart. Really,
I thought that if I was even lucky
enough to survive and get a
transplant that my life would
be more sedentary. Getting here,
it is a miracle.”
Additionally, the team raised over $300,000 for cardiovascular disease research. Shippam concluded, “In the end, we have to thank all the families who say ‘yes’ to organ donation when asked that tough question at the hospital.”
For a detailed account of their adventure,
see Dr. Ross’s “Test Your Limits” blog:
http://testyourlimits2010.blogspot.com/
This year the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation (CCFF) celebrates their
50th anniversary supporting advances
in medical research, clinical treatment
and education. At their Annual Meeting
and Conference in Ottawa last month,
they honoured one of our own. Margaret
Benson, Canadian Transplant Association
Vice-President, West was awarded the
Volunteer Service Award. The Award
is the highest award granted by the
Foundation to an individual, couple or
family who has made an exceptional
contribution of national significance,
to the CCFF. Margaret was honoured
for her 30+ years as an active volunteer,
fund-raiser and advocate for the
Foundation. Congratulations, Margaret!
Photo: (left to right) Double Lung Recipient Margaret Benson, Karen Kellett, Chairman of the National Awards Committee, Debra Berlet National President of the CCFF
Benson Honoured for her volunteer Work
Heart Recipient on Top of the WorldThe 5th Canadian Transplant Games — Québec 2010 are fast approaching. In fact, by the end of April, more than one hundred registrations were received by the local organizing committee (LOC) which confirms the interest for this friendly and competitive sports event. Everyone is busy preparing for the Games and working with our many business partners to ensure a prestigious event.
The LOC has put considerable effort into recruiting a record number of athletes and volunteers in Montréal, Québec, and across the country. MC2 Expérience stratégique, along with its local partners Québec-Transplant, Canadian Transplant Association, the Université Laval, Héma-Québec, the City of Québec, the Mouvement Desjardins, the Chambre des notaires du Québec, the Canadian Blood Service and the Kidney Foundation of Canada, continues activities to raise funds and recruit participants. The Canadian Tire
Jumpstart Foundation of Québec also offers valuable financial support to athletes in need. Thank you very much! Several fundraising and awareness-raising activities are being organized including:
• Ciel! Un cocktail d’enfer: June 4, 2010, hosted by the Québec Lions at the Officers’ Mess at the Québec Citadel. All profits will support the Canadian Transplant Games.
• A benefit cocktail party: June 15, 2010, at Montreal Cinémathèque with distinguished guests Costa Gavras and his wife Michèle for the North American premiere of the movie À l’Ouest, un souffle nouveau (In the west, a new breath) — the story of 6 young lung transplant recipients on a physically and psychologically challenging trek in Ireland. The film is dedicated to all organ and tissue donors and their families.
• Signez pour la vie! — July 22, 2010, an important awareness-raising event hosted by Laurier Québec, a very prestigious shopping center in the Québec Region.
MC2 Expérience stratégique and its
valued partners invite all national,
provincial, regional and local
organizations to appeal to their
members to register themselves
right away to take advantage of all
benefits announced previously.
We are looking forward to seeing you
all and wish you great games!
The LOC and MC2 Expérience stratégique
5th Canadian Transplant Games - Québec 2010
Les 5e Jeux canadiens des greffés Québec 2010
Les 5e Jeux canadiens des greffés Québec 2010 avancent à grands pas. En effet, à la fin avril, plus d’une centaine d’inscriptions sont parvenues au comité organisateur confirmant ainsi l’engouement pour ces compétitions amicales et sportives. La grande majorité des disciplines sont largement avancées dans leurs préparatifs. Plusieurs partenaires offrent d’ailleurs aux jeux, support et logistique afin de livrer des jeux de qualité.
En plus des efforts remarquables pour recruter des athlètes dans la région métropolitaine de Montréal, c’est le branle-bas de combat à Québec afin de recruter un nombre record d’athlètes et de bénévoles. MC2 Expérience stratégique aimeraient vous présenter les partenaires qui s’unissent pour la réussite des Jeux : Québec-Transplant, Canadian Transplant Association, l’Université Laval, Héma-Québec, la ville de Québec, le Mouvement
Desjardins, la Chambre des notaires du Québec, la Société canadienne du sang et la Fondation canadienne du rein. Tous s’unissent pour offrir un soutien primordial, tant au niveau financier qu’au niveau du recrutement de bénévoles et d’athlètes. Il est à noter que la Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec apporte une aide financière précieuse en supportant nos jeunes athlètes moins nantis. Un gros merci! D’autres partenaires financiers viendront se joindre aux Jeux bientôt.
Plusieurs activités de financement ou de sensibilisation sont en cours de réalisation dont l’événement Ciel! Un cocktail d’enfer préparé par les Lions de Québec qui aura lieu le 4 juin au Mess des officiers à la Citadelle de Québec. Les profits seront dédiés aux Jeux canadiens des greffés. De plus, il y aura à la Cinémathèque de Montréal le 15 juin prochain, un cocktail bénéfice de prestige avec la présence de
Costa Gavras et de son épouse Michèle pour le lancement en première nord-américaine du film À l’Ouest, un souffle nouveau relatant le récit de 6 jeunes greffés du poumon lors d’un voyage initiatique en Irlande. Finalement à Laurier Québec, un centre commercial très prisé dans la région de Québec sera l’hôte d’un événement de sensibilisation majeur; Signez pour la vie! qui se tiendra le 22 juillet 2010.
MC2 Expérience stratégique et ses
précieux partenaires invitent donc toutes
les organisations nationales, provinciales,
régionales et locales à solliciter leurs
membres à s’inscrire sans plus tarder
afin de profiter de tous les bénéfices
annoncés précédemment.
Nous vous attentons en grand nombre
et bons jeux!
Le comité organisateur MC2 Expérience stratégique
6 7
The city of Quebec is preparing to receive
athletes from across Canada excited to
celebrate life and health by taking part in
varied sports competitions where pleasure
and team spirit will be honoured. From
August 9th to 14th, 2010 we invite all
organ transplant recipients to live this
unique experience:
• the possibility to stand apart and
have fun in more than ten disciplines
like golf, athletics, swimming, biking,
tennis and badminton
• the opportunity to visit charming
Québec City, one of UNESCO’s World
Heritage cities
• the pleasure to meet and share with other
transplant recipients and their families
• the honour to be recognised for your
courage and determination — memorable
Opening and Closing Ceremonies where
life and achievement are in the foreground
• the possibility to raise public awareness
of the significance of organ donation
as well as the importance of signing
their donor card
Athletes of all levels and abilities are
expected in Québec City. Whether you
are a semi-professional or an amateur,
you are welcome into the competitions
that will be divided in categories by age.
Even if you never practise one of these
sports, if you are healthy and want to
participate in this friendly national
event, the Games are for you!
For more information or to subscribe,
visit www.jeuxcanadiensdesgreffes.ca
before June 4th, 2010. And for more
information about beautiful Québec City,
visit www.quebecregion.com.
We hope we will have the pleasure to
welcome you in Québec City in August!
La ville de Québec se prépare à recevoir
de nombreux athlètes canadiens, heureux
de célébrer la vie et la santé en participant
à des compétitions sportives où plaisir et
esprit d’équipe seront à l’honneur. En effet,
du 9 au 14 août, nous invitons tous les
membres de Québec Transplant ainsi
que tous les bénéficiaires d’une greffe
à vivre une expérience unique :
• la possibilité de vous démarquer
et de vous amuser dans une dizaine
de disciplines telles que le golf,
l’athlétisme, la pétanque, la natation,
le vélo, la marche, les quilles, le tennis
et le badminton;
• l’opportunité de visiter la charmante
ville de Québec, listée dans les villes
du patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco ;
• le plaisir de rencontrer et d’échanger
avec des personnes greffées ainsi
que leurs famille;
• l’honneur d’être reçu à la hauteur de
votre courage et de votre détermination
: des cérémonies d’ouverture et gala de
fermeture dont vous vous souviendrez
longtemps, où la vie et les réussites
de tous seront mis à l’avant-scène;
• la possibilité de sensibiliser les citoyens
de la Vieille Capitale à l’importance
du don d’organes et à l’impérativité
de signer leur carte.
Des athlètes de tous les niveaux sont
attendus à Québec : que vous soyez
semi-professionnels ou amateurs de
sports, vous êtes les bienvenus dans
les compétitions qui seront réparties
par catégorie d’âges. Même si vous
n’avez jamais pratiqué l’un des sports
listés; si vous êtes en bonne santé et
désirez participer à cet événement
fraternel d’envergure nationale,
les Jeux sont pour vous!
Informez-vous et inscrivez-vous au www.
jeuxcanadiensdesgreffes.ca avant le 4 juin
2010. Et pour plus d’information à propos
de la charmante ville de Québec, visitez
le www.quebecregion.com
Au plaisir de vous rencontrer à Québec
du 9 au 14 août prochain!
Québec City is pleased to host the 2010
Canadian Transplant Games, August 9-14.
The Games, which are expected to attract
more than 400 participants, are a unique
opportunity for transplant recipients from
all over Canada to gather in a friendly, warm
and competitive spirit, in beautiful, historic
Québec City. Since the first Games in
Sherbrooke in 2000, the participation
rate continues to climb. The goals of
the Games remain to:
• Increase public awareness of organ
and tissue donation;
• Demonstrate that transplantation
does save lives and recipients can
return to a full and active life;
• Give transplant recipients and their
families the opportunity to meet organ
donor families and to share moments
with them and express their gratitude;
• Encourage recipients to improve
their fitness and to lead an active,
healthy lifestyle.
All organ transplant recipients — young
or old, competitive or recreational — can
be part of the Games. Sporting events
include tennis, swimming, track and field,
bowling, golf, table tennis and lawn bowling
to name just a few. Athletes compete in
their own age category, and each can find
his/her own favourite events. The most
important thing is to be there and to have fun!
The Canadian Transplant Association
(CTA) has partnered with MC2 Expérience
stratégique, a not-for-profit organization
specializing in event planning, to bring
you the Games. Lodging and most of
the competitive events will take place on
the University of Laval campus. All organ
transplant recipients who are CTA members
are eligible to attend these Games. For more
information or to register for the Games, visit
the website www.jeuxcanadiensdesgreffes.ca
GAMES EvENTS
Donor Appreciation Night — The Games
offer a unique opportunity for organ
recipients to acknowledge and thank
organ donors and donor families for their
precious gift of life. This year the event will
be held in conjunction with the Opening
Ceremonies at either Eglise Sanit-Roch or
Chapelle du Musee de L’Amerique francaise.
More details to follow on the website.
Seminars, Education — The Games also
offer a chance for transplant professionals
to gather to enhance education, research
and awareness. A seminar for organ and
tissue donation specialists is planned
during the Games and information kiosks
will be set up throughout the Games venues.
Children Events — Entertainment for
the kids is always a highlight of the Games
for many families. And this year is no
exception... clowns, balloon sculptures,
mascots, and make-up artists will add a
touch of colour to the festivities. Student
volunteers and others with day-care or
playground supervision experience will
be recruited to work with the children.
Caricaturists will be present at the sites
for young and old alike to preserve
the moments.
Cultural Activities — Games participants
will easily find entertainment in the Old
City of Quebec, the only fortified town in
North America. Fine restaurants, open-air
terraces, street festivals and historic sites
offer the “tourist” an endless variety of
summer activities.
Evenings on the Town — Check out the
exciting Quebec night life beginning with:
• An evening cruise on the St. Lawrence;
• A walk along the beautiful river valley
in Levis. Stop at the Terrace for the
panoramic view of the ramparts and
Chateau Frontenac — fabulously
illuminated at night;
• A champagne Hot Air Balloon ride with
Montgolfieres St-Jean-Chrysostome.
• A tour of Chateau Frontenac (in English/
French). Champlain - St. Lawrence
College students have also volunteered
for the Games to act as tour guides.
Quebec Sports and Events Schedule
August 9 – 15, 2010
(subject to change)
MONDAY, 9TH
• All Day: Arrival and Registration
• 17:00 – 19:00: BBQ
• 19:30 – 20:30: Opening Ceremonies
TuESDAY, 10TH
• 8:00 – 16:00: Bowling
• 8:00 – 11:00: 5K Cycling
• 13:00 – 15:30: 20K Cycling
• 10:00 – 15:30: Golf Practice
• 17:00 – 19:00: Badminton
and Swimming Practice
• 20:00 – 21:00: Soccer
WEDNESDAY, 11TH
• All Day: Donor’s Celebration Day
• All Day: Kid’s Day
• 8:00 – 14:30: Badminton
• 8:00 – 15:00: Golf
• 15:00 – 16:00: Tennis Practice
• 16:00 – 19:00: Senior, Senior+
Swimming
• 20:00 – 21:00: Donor’s Evening
THuRSDAY, 12TH
• 8:00 – 15:30: Activities Day
• 8:00 – 16:00: Tennis
• 8:00 – 16:00: Petanque
• 16:00 – 18:30: Kids, Juniors
Swimming
• 16:00 – 18:30: Athletics Practice
• 19:30 – 21:00: Softball
FRIDAY, 13TH
• 8:30 – 15:30: Ping Pong
• 8:30 – 11:30: 1K, 3K, 5K Running
and Race Walking
• 15:30 – 19:30: Adults Swimming
• 19:30 – 20:30: Volleyball
SATuRDAY, 14TH
• 8:30 – 15:00: Athletics
• 15:00 – 16:00: Closing Ceremony
• 18:30 – 21:00: Closing Gala
SuNDAY, 15TH
• Departure
5th Canadian Transplant Games: Quebec City, August 9–14, 2010
Moins de 100 jours avant la tenue des 5e Jeux canadiens des greffés!
Less than 100 days until the 5th Canadian Transplant Games
8 9
For a person with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) life includes a regular routine of therapy, medication and clinic/hospital visits. There is no known cure for CF, but there is real hope. 40 years ago, a child born with CF rarely lived beyond four years. Now, thanks to advanced research and comprehensive treatment programs, the median age of survival in Canada has reached its highest point ever of 37 years. Still, that means that 50% of Canadians with CF won’t reach the age of 37.
These statistics are all too familiar to Margaret Benson, Canadian Transplant Association Vice-President, and her husband Brian. On December 1, 1999 Margaret underwent life-saving double lung transplant surgery. 40 years of battling Cystic Fibrosis and recurrent pneumonias had ravaged Margaret’s lungs and left her fighting for every breath. Now Margaret is taking her new lungs “on the road”. She and Brian are cycling tandem as part of
the gruelling 1200 kilometre “GearUp4CF” ride from Vancouver to the Rockies. They will join others on June 19, 2010 for 2 days of the 9-day trek from White Rock, British Columbia to Banff, Alberta.
Margaret and Brian invite all their friends and supporters to join them for a “FUN-
raising” Burger and Beer night on Friday, June 4, 2010 at Mosquito Creek Bar and Grill in North Vancouver.
For more information on the ride or to
sponsor Margaret and Brian in their quest
for a cure for CF go to www.gearup4cf.org
or link to it from www.cfvancouver.ca.
This year Canada had the privilege of hosting the XXI Winter Olympics in beautiful British Columbia. As part of the traditional Olympic preparation, 12,000 individuals won the privilege of being a torchbearer — to carry the ancient flame for part of its record-setting journey through the northern-most reaches of Canada to the Maritimes and across the country back to Vancouver to light the Olympic cauldron in the Opening Ceremonies. Among those chosen were a number of transplant recipients who understand more than most the meaning of giving and sharing. They have been fortunate enough to receive a precious gift from a stranger and his/her family; the passing or sharing of another kind of light — a second chance at life. Among those recipients honoured to carry the torch were:
• Kurt Penner, a double lung recipient from Dorchester, Ontario
• Dale Shippam, a heart recipient from Thunder Bay, Ontario
• Eddie McDonald, a lung recipient from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
• Gordon Denison, a kidney recipient from Ormstown, Quebec (see Issue #29 of The Living Proof )
• Nadine Ogonowski, a kidney recipient from Val-d’Or, Quebec (see Issue #29 of The Living Proof )
• John Byrne, a double lung recipient from Calgary, Alberta
• Larry Worfolk (double lung), Sally McKinstry (kidney/pancreas), Len Gallant (kidney/pancreas), Amanda Poch (liver), and Carol Daechsel (donor family), all of British Columbia, were among the paddlers on the ‘Gift of Life’ Dragon Boat team February 12 when the six-boat flotilla accompanied the torch for the final leg of its journey crossing the waters of False Creek from Granville Island on its way to B.C. Place for the Opening Ceremonies.
Kurt Penner received his double lung transplant at Toronto General Hospital in 2002 and has been an advocate for organ and tissue donation ever since. “The symbolism of passing something as life-giving as the light of a torch from one person to another isn’t lost on me...” Penner says. “It’s a gift I unwrap every day of the year.” He has won several medals in Canadian and World Transplant Games and says he applied to carry the torch through Woodstock “to continue to promote organ donation and improve lives within his community and also to honour his donor.”
Thunder Bay resident and firefighter Dale Shippam received a heart transplant in 1999, and has since been
an advocate for a very active lifestyle after transplantation. Since this transplant he has climbed mountains in Antarctica and recently completed a trek to the North Pole. The 58 year-old father of four said, “To be able to go out into the cold and run with the torch and feel good is just... a miracle.”
67 year-old Eddie MacDonald could barely walk the length of a hallway until a life-saving lung transplant two years ago. Eddie, who says he still gets goosebumps when he hears the national anthem, considered it a tremendous honour to carry the Olympic flame. He says he “hopes his time with the torch gives hope to those waiting for organ transplants and inspires others to sign donor cards”.
Before John Byrne underwent double lung transplant in 2002, he could barely walk from his home to his car and spent most of his time watching the seasons pass by his living room window. But eight years later (almost to the day), John could watch his breath on a cool January afternoon as he ran the Olympic torch down the highway towards Banff, Alberta. His dream had come true to “represent the greatest country in the world and to celebrate and bring awareness to the cause of organ donation”. I’m sure John’s words aptly express the emotions of all the transplant recipient torchbearers. “When I think about being a part of all the positive energy of the Olympics, it seems like a miracle”.
The Canadian Transplant Association
congratulates all the Olympic relay
participants and especially those
individuals who shared not only the
Olympic spirit but helped demonstrate
to the world that organ donation works.
Olympic Relay Honours Organ Recipients1200 kilometres of determination and hope: Breathing Life into the Future
In the spring of 1989, Dale Hanson, of
Castlegar, British Columbia, was working
in an underground mine — the oldest one
in the country. He was part of a 5-man
team specially trained to rescue trapped
miners. During a mock-up practise rescue,
Hanson and another man had to crawl
through 30 meters of smoke-filled culvert
over rocky obstructions with full gear and
equipment to provide first aid and recovery
for a ‘missing’ miner. Struggling back
with the injured miner on a stretcher, they
became entangled in the rocks. The effort
to clear the obstruction left Dale breathless
and near panic but to stop would endanger
his partner and the victim.
That was the moment when Hanson first
realized he had a breathing problem, an
issue that would bring him to hospital
for testing and monitoring several times
over the next 10 years until he was finally
referred to the Lung Transplant Program
at the University of Alberta Hospital.
On February 5, 2000, Hanson underwent
surgery to replace one of his defective
lungs — a gift from a grieving family who
found the strength to honour their loved
one’s wishes to be an organ donor. Six
others received life-saving transplant
surgery thanks to that precious gift.
Hanson’s recovery was not without
complications, but he never looked back.
By the end of that year Hanson had
resumed his hobbies, dominated by golf
and downhill skiing. He would go on to
receive both Canadian and International
Freestyle Judges Licences and was
on the Judge’s Stand during National
competitions until he retired in 2005.
Now, 10 years post-transplant,
Hanson celebrates his re-birthday
with family and friends. With
their support and encouragement,
he has written a book about his
experiences entitled “Aim High,”
a story that focuses on the
value of goal-setting and the
importance of eternal optimism.
Hanson is grateful for the courage
and compassion of the donor
family and for the expertise of the
hospital staff that returned him to
his family, his friends, and his life.
B.C. Man Celebrates 10th Re-Birthday
Brian and Margaret Benson train for the GearUp4CF bicycle ride which starts on June 19.
10 11
“I Love You All... Love... Love... Love”On Saturday, March 27, 2010, the Cystic Fibrosis and Transplant communities lost a dedicated and passionate advocate when 25-year old Eva Markvoort finally lost her battle with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Several years ago Eva decided to share her story and reach out through the
Internet to others struggling with CF. Her on-line site was an immediate hit and would soon attract hundreds of thousands of readers. The challenges of living with CF made it impossible for Eva to realize her dream of becoming an actor but friends and family convinced her that she had an important story to tell. Created in partnership with Force Four Entertainment and CBC, the documentary named for her online moniker “65 Red Roses,” would follow Eva’s struggle and her long wait for a double lung transplant.
The touching and uplifting documentary would go on to win the ‘Audience Award for Best Documentary’ at the Omaha Film Festival and top honours at the Vancouver Film Festival, Hot Docs in Toronto, and the Arizona International Film Festival. It’s now competing for ‘Best Social and Humanitarian Documentary’ at the
Banff World Television “Rockie” Awards in June 2010.
As the documentary chronicles, Eva did receive the precious gift of a double lung transplant in 2007 but her celebration would be short-lived. Less than two years later, Eva would find herself once again on the waiting list as her new lungs succumbed to chronic rejection. Undaunted, she continued to raise awareness for transplantation through her art, poetry, music and the internet. Eva lived passionately, with force, colour, and purpose, enriching the lives of thousands of people in both her personal and online communities. Our thoughts are with Eva’s parents, Janet and Bill, siblings Annie and Hunter, and all her family and friends. She will be desperately missed but her legacy will continue through all her “extended” family and their ongoing commitment to organ donation awareness.
In February 2008, Larry Eldstrom, of Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, underwent a bilateral lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis. Eighteen months later Larry was well and fit, and proudly walking his daughter Kyla down the aisle. Little did he know the impact his transplant was about to have on the celebrations. Kyla and her new husband, Matthijs, had plans to help raise awareness for the thousands of Canadians not as lucky as her Dad; those still waiting for an organ donation to save their lives. Kyla and Matthijs had only one rule at their reception. “No glass-clinking allowed. If you want to see us kiss, it will cost you a minimum $5.00 donation to the Canadian Transplant Association.” Apparently, the larger the donation was, the longer the kiss would be.
Kyla’s Mom, Joan, admits the kisses got a little “amorous” by the end of the evening, but what a great way to “give something back!” Kyla and Matthijs raised the awareness of organ donation with their guests, honoured her father for his courageous and successful battle with lung disease, and supported an organization that had come to be so important to Larry and his family. And, of course, the awareness spread beyond the guests as they shared the unique and entertaining idea with family and friends after the wedding. I guess it’s true... one person CAN make a difference... well, two people anyway. A little creativity and some good lip balm can go a long way. Congratulations, Kyla and Matthijs!! And... THANK YOU!
A Special Flag and a Young Miracle Boy Highlight NOTDAW in New Brunswick
Written by Mark Black, Regional Director Atlantic Provinces
Sealed With a KissNOTDAW Events from across Canada
Eva Dien Brine Markvoort (1984-2010)
April 20 – 26, 2010, was a special week
in Moncton, New Brunswick. On Monday
a flag-raising ceremony was held at City
Hall. The flag, bearing a giant green ribbon
and the message “Organ Donation Works,”
was unfurled in front of city hall and proudly
flew there all week as a symbol of hope
to everyone still waiting on transplant lists
and a celebration for those whose lives
have been saved by organ donation.
With the flag flying overhead, the 6th
Annual Transplant Trot, a 5K walk/10K
run, was held — our most successful yet
with more than 150 participants joining
in. Perhaps the highlight of the event
was watching one young man cross the
finish line with his brother and parents.
Last year Braden Gendron, age 11, couldn’t
have run this race. A young boy, who
should have been at school having fun
and playing with his friends, Braden
was on a transplant waiting list in Toronto
hundreds of kilometres from home.
Thankfully, in September he received his
life-saving gift of a double lung transplant
and, on Sunday, April 25, crossed the finish
line of the 5K. That alone was an amazing
feat, but even better was how he looked
just like his younger brother running
beside him. Braden looked healthy
and happy, finally just a normal kid.
Every NOTDAW is a reminder to us all
of the work still to be done to help the
more than 4,000 Canadians still waiting
for transplants. But this year, the week
was also a reminder to all of us here in
New Brunswick that organ donation
really does work.
Keep running Braden. We’ll see you
at the Games in August!
Celebrating NOTDAW in Toronto
Members of the Toronto transplant
community rallied at Yonge and Dundas
square on April 21, 2010, to mark National
Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness
Week. The crowd was entertained by
Alex and her Alleycats, a jazz combo
led by double lung recipient Alex
Pangman. Toronto Mayor David Miller
demonstrated his support for organ
donation by joining the crowd in donning
a green poncho and forming a Living
Green Ribbon. Several other Living
Green Ribbons were assembled by
volunteers throughout Ontario.
Sandra Holdsworth, liver recipient of Gravenhurst, and Amy Holdorf, kidney recipient of Toronto, pose with Cardiac Carla, the mascot for the RecycleMe.org awareness campaign sponsored by the Trillium Gift of Life Network.
Members of the Toronto transplant community form a Living Green Ribbon to celebrate NOTDAW.
Bigger and Better
CTA - Alberta Region was proud to host
its best-ever Faculty Club Dinner and
Silent Auction on April 15, 2010, to kick-off
local activities for National Organ and
Tissue Donation Awareness Week
(NOTDAW). The dinner was attended by
more than 150 transplant physicians, staff,
recipients, sponsors and their families and
friends. Dr. John Mullen, Director of the
Heart Transplant Program at the University
of Alberta Hospital, provided the keynote
address and entertained and inspired
guests with his personal and professional
stories of “Dreams, Courage, Heroes and
Hope.” Representatives from the Human
Organ Procurement and Exchange (HOPE)
program and the Kidney Foundation
relaxed and enjoyed the evening before
embarking on their own busy NOTDAW
events. HOPE launched their brand new
marketing campaign this year and both
groups had interactive awareness-raising
displays throughout the Edmonton area
and surrounding rural communities.
HOPE’s advertising program for 2010
targets a ‘younger’ audience and rides
the dual-purpose “green wave” of organ
donation and environmental awareness.
Printed materials feature youthful faces
asking the question, “Recycle.. What?” and
go on to explain how we can all ‘recycle’
ourselves by becoming organ donors and
giving life to others. CTA – Alberta wishes
all other regions every success with their
own awareness activities and asks you
to ‘Save the Date’ September 11, 2010, for
our next Family Fun Day and Barbeque.
Thank you for supporting the Canadian Transplant Association
Canadian Transplant Associationc/o N. Folkins
11649 St. Albert Trail NW
Edmonton, AB T5M 3L6
