Shorts

Ed’s story

Patient Voice spoke with Ed Faddies about how he copes with the fear and confusion that can come hand-in-hand with a kidney cancer diagnosis.

Shorts

Brad’s story

Traumatic spinal cord injury

Patient Voice spoke with Brad Arseneau about the traumatic injury that changed his life and how he’s navigated the long road back to being able to enjoy his passion — skateboarding.

Shorts

Life after transplant: Afsana’s journey with a rare liver disease

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

At just 16 years old, Afsana Lallani was diagnosed with a rare liver disease. Only a few short years later, she found herself in urgent need of a life-saving organ transplant.

Shorts

A lesson in advocacy: Linda’s fight for health equality

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Linda Roy has spent the majority of her life immunocompromised. Now, from her home in a remote New Brunswick community, she’s turned her experience into a passion for helping others.

Shorts

Balancing new motherhood and a rare cancer diagnosis

Diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

In late 2020, when Paula Hall should’ve been basking in the newness of motherhood, she was instead thrust into intensive treatment for a rare blood cancer.

Shorts

Tina’s story

Breast cancer

Patient Voice spoke with Tina Martel about the realities of cancer and her work to reimagine the constructs of femininity through fashion and art.

Shorts

Jessica’s story

Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM)

Patient Voice spoke with Jessica Cohn about the premature birth of her son Ari and the need for increased support and awareness around women’s health.

Shorts

Peter’s story

Testicular cancer

Patient Voice spoke to Peter Bovolaneas about his testicular cancer diagnosis, the healing power of laughter, and his passion for erasing stigma around male openness and vulnerability.

Shorts

Kae’s story

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy

Patient Voice spoke with Kae Tran about learning to accept her muscular dystrophy diagnosis and how she’s working to represent the disabled community online.

Shorts

Shirley’s story

Menopause

Patient Voice spoke with advocate Shirley Weir about menopause and the importance of expanding our education to help reshape the conversation into something genuinely helpful.

Shorts

Emma’s story

Type 1 Diabetes

Patient Voice spoke with Emma Perry about the difficulties of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a young adult in Canada.

Shorts

Chantale’s story

Appendix cancer

Patient Voice spoke with Chantale Thurston about her journey in discovering she had appendix cancer and the need for more compassion in cancer care.

Shorts

Mike’s story

Ramsay Hunt syndrome

Patient Voice spoke with Mike Shoreman about how a rare diagnosis deeply impacted his mental health, and why storytelling has played a indispensable role in his ongoing recovery.

Shorts

Amanda and Kimberly’s story

tuberous sclerosis complex

Patient Voice spoke with Amanda Cecconi about her sister Kimberly’s tuberous sclerosis complex diagnosis, the balance of sisterhood and caregiving, and her family’s advocacy journey.

Shorts

Unstoppable: Sarah’s journey from coma to altar and beyond

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA)

Sarah Kempinska’s rare form of severe ANCA vasculitis saw her in a medically induced coma just days before her wedding. As the one-year anniversary of her marriage approaches, Sarah is thriving, but the struggle of living with the disease remains.

Shorts

Jamie’s story

Pre-skin cancer

Patient Voice spoke with Canadian sports broadcaster Jamie Campbell about his experience with pre-skin cancer and why he’s passionate about increasing conversation around sun safety.

Shorts

Thriving on and off the ice as a teenager living with a rare condition

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)

Nathan Turgeon, a 16-year-old from rural Quebec, is living with a rare genetic condition called neurofibromatosis type 1. But this ambitious, hockey-loving teenager won’t let anything hold him back from achieving his goals.

Shorts

Michelle’s story

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP)

Patient Voice spoke with Michelle Capon about the immense mental and physical impact that porphyria can have on those who live with the rare condition.

Shorts

Alice’s story

Wilson's disease

Patient Voice spoke with Alice Williams about Wilson’s disease, the rare genetic condition that’s turned her family’s lives upside down over the past year.

Shorts

Harjeet’s story

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL)

Patient Voice spoke to Harjeet Kaur to learn about her rare lymphoma journey, and to better understand the importance of representation and diversity in cancer advocacy.

Shorts

Jeremie’s story

Cystic Fibrosis

Jeremie Saunders is one of Patient Voice’s 2024 “Rare Creators” — someone who is using their online platform to uplift the Canadian rare disease community. Jeremie is one of the hosts of the Sickboy podcast and a dedicated cystic fibrosis advocate who uses his platform to spark conversations about health and access to innovative rare disease medicines.

Shorts

Mara’s story

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) + Usher Syndrome

Mara Hutchinson is one of Patient Voice’s 2024 “Rare Creators” — someone who is using their online platform to uplift the Canadian rare disease community. Mara is a TV reporter, disability advocate, and lifestyle creator who uses her platform to break stigma and spread awareness for those impacted by vision-related rare diseases, like herself.

Shorts

Why knowledge is power following an NMOSD diagnosis

Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD)

Lelainia Lloyd reflects on a long and accomplished career as a chronic illness and disability advocate.

Shorts

The strength of positivity: Sarah and the ‘butterfly’ condition

Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)

Sarah Sweeney shares her journey to accepting life with a rare skin disorder defined by fragile skin and constant wounds.

Shorts

Josie & Cole’s story

Sotos Syndrome

Josie Dye is one of Patient Voice’s 2024 “Rare Creators” — someone who is using their online platform to uplift the Canadian rare disease community. Josie is a radio host, TV personality, and rare disease mom who harnesses her platform to support other parents through the highs and lows of raising a child with a rare disease.

Shorts

Angela’s story

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

Patient Voice spoke with Angela Diano about the numerous barriers that hinder progress when bringing innovative therapies to Canadian rare disease patients.

Shorts

Reine’s story

Behçet’s disease

Patient Voice spoke with Reine Hodroj about the role that patient organizations can play in helping to combat the isolation of living with a rare inflammatory condition like Behçet’s.

Shorts

Catherine’s story

Dementia + Caregiving

Patient Voice spoke with Catherine Mulvale about the pain, and the rare moments of beauty, associated with caring for a parent living with dementia.

Shorts

Lucas’s story

Li-Fraumeni syndrome

Patient Voice spoke with Lucas Locke about his family’s experience with Li-Fraumeni syndrome and his choice to not let it affect his life.

Shorts

Sarah & Benjamin’s story

Leukemia and adenoid cystic carcinoma

Patient Voice spoke with oncology mom and rare cancer survivor Sarah DeMelo about the challenges of balancing her son Benjamin’s cancer journey with that of her own.

Shorts

David’s story

Hyperacusis

Patient Voice spoke with David Vance about his frustrating journey with hyperacusis, a painful sensitivity to sound that leaves him seeking rare moments of escape.

Shorts

Kate & Etan’s story

OTC Deficiency

Patient Voice spoke with Kate Vinokurov about her son Etan’s rare disease diagnosis and why it’s important for her to feel in control amidst uncertainty.

Shorts

Shakhnoza’s story

Stillbirth

Patient Voice spoke with Shakhnoza Nasim about her family’s journey with grief following the loss of her first child, Muhubbat, who was born still.

Shorts

Daniel’s story

Lymphoma

Patient Voice spoke with entertainer and writer Daniel Stolfi to find out how important of a role comedy has played in his cancer recovery journey.

Shorts

Myles’s story

HIV

Patient Voice spoke with online creator and HIV advocate Myles Sexton about their journey to reinvent their life after being diagnosed with HIV.

Shorts

Chord’s story

Alagille syndrome

Patient Voice spoke with Tara and Ben Jaques about their son Chord’s rare diagnosis and how a life-changing medication has finally granted him a sense of peace.

Shorts

Eli’s story

Latent Autoimmune Diabetes (LADA)

Patient Voice spoke with Eli about being diagnosed with LADA at 30 years old as well as what inspired him to co-found a platform for fellow diabetes sufferers.

Shorts

Jason’s story

Colon cancer

Patient Voice spoke with cancer advocate Jason Manuge about his mother’s experience with colon cancer and how it’s shaped the way he views his own diagnosis today.

Shorts

Lorraine’s story

BPD & ADHD

Patient Voice spoke with Lorraine Lowry about being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and ADHD, and how these diagnoses have impacted her parenting.

Shorts

Allen’s story

Salivary duct carcinoma

Patient Voice spoke with Allen Chankowsky about receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis and how, seven years later, he continues to defy all expectations.

Shorts

Valeriya & Yaro’s story

Lissencephaly & Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Patient Voice spoke with Valeriya Demydenko about sharing her son Yaro’s health journey on social media, and why she maintains a transparent dialogue about the difficult and joyful moments of their life.

Shorts

In their own words

More stories of "rare" strength, perseverance, and hope from across Canada.

Shorts

Neil’s story

Dystonia

Patient Voice spoke with Neil Merovitch about the concept of disability, and the influence of ableism in the scientific community as it has manifested in his own life.

Shorts

Growing in confidence: Thomas’s story

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD)

Karine’s son Thomas was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at five years old. But now, he’s doing better than ever.

Shorts

Cheryl’s story

Myeloproliferative neoplasms

Patient Voice spoke with Cheryl Petruk about how her late husband Eugene’s rare blood cancer journey has inspired a lifetime of advocacy.

Shorts

Nick’s story

Polycystic kidney disease

Patient Voice sat down with Nick Ashawasega to talk about the intersection of intergenerational trauma, mental health, and chronic illness in an impactful feature.

Shorts

Luke’s story

Dravet syndrome

Patient Voice spoke with Leanne and Brian Michalofsky about their lifelong search for answers and a sense of normalcy for their son Luke.

Shorts

Mercedes and Camila’s story

Autism

Patient Voice spoke with Mercedes Palermo about her daughter Camila’s autism diagnosis and their journey with behavioural therapy and advocacy.

Shorts

Justin’s story

Multiple sclerosis

Patient Voice spoke with Justin Loizos about discovering he was living with multiple sclerosis and how that diagnosis has deeply impacted his life and entrepreneurship goals.

Shorts

Amanda’s story

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Patient Voice spoke with Amanda McCallum about learning to manage the incurable pain of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Shorts

Ben & Katherine’s story

Traumatic Brain Injury

Patient Voice spoke with Ben and Katherine in a 3-part series that explores Ben’s ongoing recovery from a traumatic brain injury and the loving bond that’s kept Katherine by his side.

Shorts

Heidi’s story

Mental Health

Patient Voice spoke with mental health advocate Heidi Fischer about taking control of her journey and the importance of community.

Shorts

Angela’s story

Brain Cancer

Patient Voice spoke with Angela Scalisi to learn about what—and who—motivates her to raise vital funds for brain cancer research in Canada.

Shorts

Deana & Liam’s story

Cystic fibrosis

Patient Voice spoke with Deana Wilson about her son Liam’s cystic fibrosis journey and how he has become self-empowered in making his voice heard.

Shorts

Jared’s story

Type III SMA

Patient Voice spoke with Jared Wayland from St. Catharines, ON about his SMA type III diagnosis and how it has impacted his life and fatherhood.

Shorts

Athina’s story

Craniocervical instability

Patient Voice spoke with Athina Hall to understand craniocervical instability and what needs to be done for chronic illness patients in Canada.

Shorts

Anaya’s story

Collagen VI-related dystrophy

Patient Voice spoke with Chanika Fernando and her husband Dean about their daughter Anaya, and what it’s like to be parents to a child who’s an N of 1.

Shorts

Renee’s story

Melanoma

Patient Voice spoke with Renee Abrenica about the important role that her gym community played throughout her metastatic melanoma journey.

Shorts

Leah’s story

Endometriosis

Patient Voice spoke with Leah Haynes about eliminating stigma around menstrual pain and her creation of a positive space for endometriosis advocacy.

Shorts

Tami’s story

Endometriosis

Patient Voice spoke with Tami Ellis about the layered impact of endometriosis and the power in advocating for a diagnosis.

Shorts

Emily’s story

CTEPH

Patient Voice spoke with Emily Pinckard about CTEPH, a rare and potentially fatal lung disease, and how it’s changed the course of her life.

Shorts

Erin’s story

Huntington’s disease

Patient Voice spoke with author Erin Paterson about confronting her Huntington’s disease diagnosis and what it might mean for the future.

Shorts

Ally’s story

Edema

Patient Voice spoke with Ally Ladak about raising awareness of what matters to him and getting involved in the community.

Shorts

Pamela’s story

Cowden syndrome

Patient Voice spoke with Pamela Fortier from Montreal, QC, about finding out she had Cowden syndrome and what it’s meant for her life ever since.

Shorts

Christine’s story

Crouzon syndrome

Patient Voice spoke with Christine de la Cruz, a schoolteacher born with Crouzon syndrome from Toronto, ON, who uses her experience to teach students about diversity and inclusion.

Shorts

Michelle’s story

Breast cancer

Patient Voice spoke with Michelle Friesen, a breast cancer survivor from Calgary, AB. She speaks about the importance of screening younger patients, survivorship, support, and reconciling with her body post-cancer.

Shorts

Alyssa’s story

Multiple myeloma

Patient Voice spoke with Alyssa Dickey, a Toronto, ON-based stay-at-home mom and multiple myeloma advocate about the uncertainty that goes hand-in-hand with a blood cancer diagnosis.

Shorts

Francine & Joseph’s story

Sanfilippo syndrome (MPS III)

Patient Voice spoke to Francine Saliba about Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare neurodegenerative condition that affects her young son, Joseph.

Shorts

Building a good life in a body slowly turning to bone

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP)

Kathleen reflects on challenges and triumphs from her FOP journey.

Shorts

Unravelling a family’s ties to Fabry disease

Fabry disease

Fatoumata’s quest to identify the rare condition affecting her family.

Shorts

Teaming up to take on ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Mark explores his evolution from professional athlete to advocate.

Shorts

Going to bat against a rare metabolic disorder

LCHAD deficiency

Andrew shares how LCHAD continues to impact nearly every aspect of his life.

Shorts

Balancing young adulthood with a fatiguing rare disease

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)

Olivia opens up about her 12-year battle with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

Shorts

Coming of age with XLH

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH)

Alice explores the unique challenges that come with balancing a busy life and transitioning to adult care.

Shorts

A reminder to always look for the zebra amongst the horses

Hereditary angioedema (HAE)

Kim shares how she ultimately arrived at an HAE diagnosis.

Shorts

Finding strength and stability in light of a dark diagnosis

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)

Sumaiya and Ibrahim share their journey with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Shorts

It’s not all in your head

Myasthenia gravis

Morning show host Sandra Plagakis and her frustrating odyssey to being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

Shorts

On seeking joy following a rare cancer diagnosis

Cholangiocarcinoma

Jules shares why she chooses to confront CCA with hope and optimism.

Shorts

An all-too-common concern for Canada’s “rare” community

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH)

An anonymous patient discusses the stigma of living with a rare, inherited disorder like HoFH.

Shorts

Munira’s story

Multiple Myeloma

When I was a child in Tanzania, I could see Mount Kilimanjaro from my window, mighty and immovable. Permanent. When you’re young, so much of life feels like that mountain. It’s unlimited and it’s not going anywhere. But we aren’t mountains.

Shorts

Isabelle’s story

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)

Patient Voice spoke with Michal and Jackie Borkowski about the loss of their daughter, Isabelle or ‘Isa’, to a rare, deadly and especially cruel form of brain cancer called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).

Shorts

Kathleen’s story

Mental health, addiction, and suicide

Patient Voice sat down with Kathleen Prendiville to reflect on the life and legacy of her late sister, Sarah, who lost her life to suicide in February of 2022.

Shorts

Chris & Bert’s story

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Bert and I had only been together for about a month when we decided to go on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park.

Shorts

Melanie’s story

Borderline personality disorder

Patient Voice spoke with musician Melanie Goldman about borderline personality disorder and how it’s shaping her future.

Shorts

Ian’s story

Pompe disease

Politics has always been a passion of mine. I studied political and social sciences at university and I’m acutely aware of the flaws in how our local governments are run.

Shorts

Deccan’s story

Duchenne muscular dystrophy

The kids on Deccan’s hockey team are all so focused on the future. They’re on the ice five or six times a week, and their parents are all so optimistic and full of dreams.

Shorts

Sonia’s story

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

In 2011, I went from feeling fine on Friday to being on death’s door by Monday. I was admitted to the hospital with my eyes swollen shut and blisters covering 95% of my body.

Shorts

Dr. Shear’s story

I’ve found, in medicine, that the routes people take to find their careers aren’t always planned. Often what happens is, along the way, there’s some role model, some person who’s doing something good and interesting, and it makes you think: ‘That’s so cool, I could do that. It's not what I was planning, but I want to try it.’

Shorts

Mateo’s story

Congenital heart disease

In April, it was snowing and snowing and snowing. As Canadians, we know it’s probably going to snow in April, but when it does, we’re still like: ‘Are you kidding me? Seriously?’

Shorts

Dr. Alam’s story

I initially wanted to be a surgeon because a cardiac surgeon saved my father’s life. I started medical school expecting to go that route. But then I fell in love with family medicine.

Shorts

Jordyn’s story

Hereditary angioedema

It was a joke when I was a kid that my second home was the hospital. My hands would swell up to the size of a baseball.

Shorts

Esther’s story

Pulmonary hypertension

Patient Voice spoke with Esther MacLeod about pulmonary hypertension, the condition that has robbed her of the ability to do many of the things that she once cherished.

Shorts

Marta’s story

Migraine disease

I started having migraines when I was five years old, growing up in Poland. I remember missing school, lying at home in bed with the lights off.

Shorts

Bryce’s story

Spinal muscular atrophy

I remember being at the doctor with my mom as a teenager and him asking if I was active in sports. My mom laughed. ‘Is guitar a sport?

Shorts

Inessa’s story

Metastatic breast cancer

I never thought that I’d get cancer. I’ve been a vegetarian for 25 years, took yoga classes and ran half marathons. I've backpacked around the world, climbed Kilimanjaro, and lived in four countries. I was healthy and had a full life.

Shorts

Beth & Madi’s story

Cystic fibrosis

Patient Voice spoke with Beth Vandstone about her daughter Madi’s cystic fibrosis (CF) journey and why the fight never stops for the CF community.

Shorts

Russ’s story

Myelodysplastic syndrome

I’d been living with a low white blood cell count for about six years when a biopsy showed a rare type of bone marrow cancer called MDS.

Shorts

Lindsay & Parker’s story

Cleidocranial dysostosis

We were out trick-or-treating on Halloween, and partway through the night, with only half a bag of candy, Parker looked up and me and said, ‘My legs hurt too bad. I want to go home.