The Living Proof Canadian Transplant Association
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The Living Proof Canadian Transplant Association www.organ-donation-works.org Calling All Athletes! 2012 Canadian Transplant Games Hockey Dream Trevor Umlah’s Hockey Dream NOTDAW 2011 Events from Across Canada Issue #34 Summer 2011 Inside This Issue ... President’s Corner ...................................................................................... 3 Dwight Kroening to Compete in the Ford Ironman Triathlon ............................................................................ 3 Calling All Transplant Recipients ........................................................ 4 Blair Gears Up to Fight Cystic Fibrosis ............................................ 4 World Transplant Games ........................................................................ 5 Announcements ......................................................................................... 5 Hockey Dream ............................................................................................. 6 President - David Smith A Legacy Lives On .................................................................................... 6 [email protected] Halifax Hockey ............................................................................................ 7 Vice-President West - Margaret Benson [email protected] NOTDAW Alberta ...................................................................................... 7 Vice-President East Transplant Trot, London, Ontario ........................................................ 8 Treasurer - Debbie Lanktree Transplant Trot, Vancouver, BC ............................................................ 8 [email protected] Student & Teacher Join Forces to Tell Their Story ....................... 9 Secretary - Kathy Tachynski [email protected] In Memorium: Jennie Diment ............................................................... 10 Membership Director - Neil Folkins In Memorium: Leslie Maureen Petter ................................................ 11 [email protected] Team Manager - Heather Fisher In Memorium: Mackenzie Queen ......................................................... 11 [email protected] Do you have any articles or pictures to submit to the Living Proof newsletter? WTGF Councillor - Heather Fisher If so, please forward to: Jennifer at [email protected]. The deadline for [email protected] the next edition is August 31, 2011. Articles should be in Word doc or docx format (300 words or less) and pictures as high resolution jpg files. REGIONAL DIRECTORS For regional reports and other interesting articles check out “The Members BC - Margaret Benson Corner” on our website www.organ-donation-works.org (under About CTA). [email protected] AB - Jennifer Holman An electronic edition of the newsletter will be available in between two [email protected] hard copy editions per year. If you have any concerns please contact CTA at 1-877-779-5991. SK - Orest Saskiw [email protected] ON - Rob Kolatschek MEMBERSHIP FEES [email protected] One Year Individual Membership $30.00 QC - Gaston Martin [email protected] Two Year Individual Membership $50.00 NB - Mark Black Lifetime Individual Membership $300.00 [email protected] One Year Family Membership $75.00 NS - Trevor Umlah A family membership will include all related adults and children who live at the same address. [email protected] Neil Folkins, Membership Director, c/o 11649 St Albert Trail NW, Edmonton, AB T5M 3L6 2 President’s Corner Written by David Smith, Kidney Recipient, Edmonton, AB Hello Everyone, It’s June 2011 and only a few more days before the Opening Ceremonies of the 18th World Transplant Games in Goteburg, Sweden. I am thinking about the excitement and butterflies being felt by the participants joining Team Canada for the first time this year. It has been ten years since I registered for my first World Transplant Games in Kobe, Japan. I remember the excitement of competition, the camaraderie both within and between teams and all of the special friendships that began there. It is a place where transplant recipients from around the world join together to celebrate life in an environment that fills your heart and soul with emotions that you won’t find anywhere else. I look forward, again, to sharing this amazing experience with all of our new teammates and with the veterans who’ve been there before. Couldn’t make it to Sweden this year? Don’t worry... we are very excited to announce that plans are underway to host the 6th Canadian Transplant Games in Calgary, Alberta from July 16th–22nd, 2012. These Games promise to be especially memorable since 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the CTA and they will be held immediately following the 100th celebration of the world famous Calgary Stampede. We are working on accommodation sites and sporting venues and other attractions throughout the city, and will keep you up to date with information as it becomes available. Save the dates and plan to whoop it up at the Stampede, stay on for the Games and enjoy an unforgettable experience in Canada’s Rocky Mountain playground. Watch upcoming issues of Living Proof and the CTA website for details. For anyone interested in hosting future Canadian Transplant Games, I am pleased to announce that the official Bid Proposal document has now been completed and is available upon request. The package will help potential hosts understand the requirements needed to host a major event of this size and walk you through the process of preparing a bid to submit to the National Board for review. I look forward to hearing from interested parties from across the country. We hope to announce the successful site for 2014 at the closing of the Games in Calgary. I wish you all the best this summer, and hope to see you at the games or other awareness activities in the near future. Take care and Enjoy Life, Dave Dwight Kroening to Compete in the Ford Ironman Triathlon Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his heart transplant, Alberta triathlete Dwight Kroening will compete in the Ford Ironman Triathlon in Phoenix, Arizona, November 20, 2011. To follow Dwight’s training schedule and “warm-up” events or to sponsor one of his races, see www.hearttransplanttriathlete.blogspot.com or Google Heart Transplant Ironman 2. See September’s issue for more of Dwight’s story. 3 Calling All Transplant Recipients The CTA is thrilled to invite all transplant Games represent a multi-million recipients, family and friends to join us dollar expense for the foundation... in Calgary July 16–22, 2012 for the 6th and a significant commitment of staff Canadian Transplant Games. resources. Now... we will re-examine the format and financial structure These Games may just be our most of the Games to achieve maximum exciting yet... impact and to ensure sustainability • 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of going forward.” the Canadian Transplant Association As always, we will be hosting athletic • our Games will “ride the wave” of competition in all age categories for track international media attention the & field athletics, swimming, tennis, table Don’t be disappointed! Be sure to save Centennial Stampede celebration tennis, badminton, speed walking, 5/10 the dates, watch for registration to open will bring to Calgary July 6–15 pin bowling, lawn bowl, golf and group and get your name in early. Calgary is events including volleyball and the coveted famous for its Western hospitality and • we expect to host many more east-versus-west Canada Cup. When our they can’t wait to welcome transplant of our American friends this year team returns from the World Transplant recipients to their city to compete in this since their own Games have been Games in Sweden, planning will continue exciting event — a chance to show the suspended for 2012 “full steam ahead” so stay tuned to the world that organ donation really does • “For 20 years,” says National Kidney CTA website at www.organ-donation- work; a chance to honour and recognize Foundation CEO John Davis, “the works.org for up-to-the-minute details. the donors and donor families; a chance NKF U.S. Transplant Games have We expect to offer on-line registration to make memories that will last a lifetime. educated the public about the life- for both participants and volunteers SEE YOU IN 2012!! saving power of organ donation this year. The CTA Executive remains and dramatically demonstrated that committed to keeping personal expenses those with transplants can and do to a minimum to help ensure that finances lead normal and active lives. But the don’t keep anyone away. Blair Gears Eight months ago, Blair Smith sat in a a regime of medications to protect her new waiting room feeling tired, nervous and lungs and to manage her CF, it’s nothing Up to Fight helpless as his wife, Sandra, underwent like the years of hospital stays, chest double lung transplant surgery to physiotherapy and countless oxygen tanks. Cystic Fibrosis replace her own lungs ravaged by 30 Sandra is excited to see Blair spending years of Cystic Fibrosis. Now Sandra is time on something besides taking care back home playing field hockey again of her. They both know the importance and enjoying long walks with her dog, of drawing attention to the battle to Whiskey. Blair has been busy too, training beat Cystic Fibrosis and the need to raise every spare moment to participate in the awareness for organ donation. Sandra 1200-kilometer Gear Up 4 CF bicycle reminds us it’s critical to talk to your ride from Calgary to Vancouver June 18 family