Olivia Oliverio – Calgary, Alberta
My name is Olivia Oliverio and I am a 24-year-old from Calgary, Alberta. I graduated in 2018 from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, majoring in accounting. Although my love for numbers has led me to my current occupation as an accountant at an accounting firm in Calgary, my […]
Audrey Lagacé – Brossard, Québec
My name is Audrey Lagacé. I am 24 years old, I live in Brossard, Québec and I have a rare blood disorder, called Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria, or PNH. I was diagnosed with PNH a month after my 13th birthday. Because I was a teenager when I was diagnosed, I remember things mostly through the retellings […]
Carrie Richards – Southern Ontario
My name is Carrie Richards and I am from Southern Ontario. When I was 18, I was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, called Aplastic Anemia. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was just the beginning of my journey with rare diseases. After a while of living with crippling fatigue and enduring regular […]
Garrett Shakespeare – North Vancouver, British Columbia
Garrett Shakespeare was diagnosed with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) 15 years ago. Now 26, this rare and deadly disease took its toll on his body and major organs for more than half of his young life. Once an avid hockey player, Garrett was forced to quit the sport due to the increasing risk of blood […]
Michele King – Red Deer, Alberta
Michele King of Red Deer, Alberta was diagnosed with the ultra-rare, progressive and fatal blood disease known as paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) in 1990. Over time, Michele began to see and feel her body deteriorate and her quality of life diminish. She lived with a constant fear of developing a deadly blood clot. After living […]
Tracy Murray – Vancouver, British Columbia
In March of 2013, Vancouver’s Tracy Murray began to experience severe fatigue, nausea, and abdominal pain and swelling. Concerned about these symptoms, she went to numerous walk-in clinics and was sent for blood tests to find out what was wrong. By the end of May 2013, Tracy went to the hospital and was immediately admitted to […]