blog

Miracle Weekend Kickoff

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:23:56 -0700

Yesterday was a very special day for those of us on the BC Children's Hospital Foundation Miracle Weekend team. We gathered for our annual Miracle Weekend Kick-off. For some of us “newbies” on the ChildRun Committee, it was a really great opportunity meet other Miracle Weekend volunteers and personalities.

This year is Miracle Weekend’s 25^th Anniversary. But what have we learned?

A lot, thanks to your generous support over the years!

20 years ago: A child with Cystic Fibrosis would survive to an average age of 18
Today: That child will survive to an average age of 35
20 years ago: 90% of childhood cardiac surgeries were high risk
Today: 90% of childhood cardiac surgeries are low risk
20 years ago: Childhood cancer beat “us” 80% of the time
Today: 80% of childhood cancer patients go on to live a long life

One of the biggest changes, though, is that 20 years ago, families of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients had to wait at home or in the waiting room as their child received treatment. Today we welcome families at the bedside 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What a difference this makes to everyone involved!

We also had the joy of meeting this year’s Miracle Weekend Child Ambassador, Lindsey Lourenco. This brave young woman is battling cancer for the third time. She’s a true inspiration to all of us with her strength, grace and sense of humour! Thank you, Lindsey.

It’s great to look back to see what has changed over 25 years, but there’s still more to be done. Please make sure you get involved in Miracle Weekend so we can keep improving healthcare for children!

Join ChildRun (a family fun event on June 3) as an individual, a family, a school or a team - or volunteer your time.

Help us make this – our 25^th year – a success! I hope to see you on race day.

Tune in to The OCEAN Radiothon for Kids

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:15:46 -0700

Thursday, May 10 and Friday, May 11 tune in to the 10^th annual Ocean 98.5 Radiothon for Kids in Victoria by listening to 98.5 FM on your radio or stream it online at www.ocean985.com.

The live broadcast - from The Bay Centre in downtown Victoria - goes from 6:00am to 6:00pm each day. There will be some amazing stories of courageous Vancouver Island families who have come to know Children’s Hospital extremely well.

This year’s Radiothon is very excited to welcome back Asher de Geest! Asher was born at 32 weeks with gastroschisis - a birth defect in which the abdomen doesn't form completely and the intestines are partially outside of the body. He was immediately taken to BC Children's Hospital's NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where he remained for more than a year of his life. Asher has had three major surgeries and “tons” of smaller procedures according to his mom. After 13 ½ months in the hospital, Asher finally went home March 10, 2009. Asher continues to grow and catch up on his developmental milestones and his overall health continues to improve. To hear more about Asher’s incredible story, tune in Thursday afternoon.

Last year’s Radiothon raised over $158,000 for BC Children’s Hospital that went towards the most urgent needs of the hospital including equipment, research, programs and services. We are looking forward to building on that total this year and ensuring our province’s kids have a bright future! Be part of this year’s annual event by joining the Club at $18 a month - just 60 cents a day! Donate online now!

Fundraising and ChildRun: Youth and Energy

Wed, 09 May 2012 08:49:08 -0700

This is a guest post by Heather Cadenhead, a fourth year student in Kinesiology and Health Science at the University of British Columbia. She initially began volunteering with the hospital because of the time she spent there as a patient. She describes her stay as leaving her forever grateful to the doctors, nurses and volunteers that used their knowledge and expertise to help her through her stay. She thought giving back to the health community in the same way would be a rewarding and amazing opportunity. After a couple of months volunteering, she joined JAC.

‘JAC’ stands for Junior Auxiliary Committee to BC Children’s Hospital. It is a youth-driven volunteer-based committee founded in February 2006 to serve as an adjunct to the Auxiliary to BC Children’s Hospital. The main goal of JAC is to implement fundraising activity ideas for the hospital as well as enhance the experience of volunteers. We continue to try and support the Senior Auxiliary by helping with other Auxiliary endeavours and other special events.

Last year was the first time JAC organized a team to participate in 26th annual ChildRun to help fundraise for childhood cancer research and other treatments at BC Children’s Hospital. A BC Children's volunteer team seemed like a great way to integrate our two main principals, bringing volunteers together while fundraising and bettering child health care. Race day was a great success and volunteers raised a total of $2,665.

This year we hope to expand our team and beat last year's fundraising efforts by raising $3,000. We continue to raise awareness and look for new fundraising initiatives that will reach out to the community. This year we held a bake sale and had a fantastic assortment of baked goods. The event was not only a fun and delicious idea, but helped raise $300 for our Children's Hospital volunteer team.

Fundraising Tips for ChildRun Teams

I would start by thinking of an event that you enjoy - when you are having fun while trying to help others it will translate into the best overall experience for you and your team. Secondly, I recommend using social media tools. Blogging and promotion via the internet are effective means of sharing information with family and friends about when, where, and how you will be fundraising. You never know, someone might just like the idea so much they will offer to help! And, last but not least, be creative! There are so many fundraising methods that have not yet being explored. Some examples can be through sports teams, social events, and music festivals…the ideas are endless!

If you would like to contact the Junior Auxiliary or participate as a member of our team, please do not hesitate to email us at bcchjac@gmail.com. We're excited to talk about some of the fundraising activities you have in mind!

Celebrating Moms

Thu, 03 May 2012 07:00:00 -0700

Celebrate Moms and support BC's Kids with the Mother's Day Campaign

Kelly is a mother who believes in miracles and the power of Mother's Day. She and her husband, Derek, are the parents of an incredible little boy Jaden. At six weeks of age and weighing only seven pounds, Jaden underwent what was expected to be a routine surgery for a congenital hear defect. However, an unexpected complication caused Jaden to undergo a much longer and more complicated surgery and the possibility of another surgery loomed.

At Jaden's five-month checkup, Kelly and Derek received tremendous news. Jaden's leaky valve had repaired itself and he would not require a visit to BC Children's Hospital again until he is two-and-a-half years old.

Kelly looks forward to a celebrating Mother's Day this May 13 with her courageous and inquisitive toddler. To help support mothers like Kelly and sons like Jaden, BC Children's Hospital Foundation's Hospitality Committee has worked with some fantastic restaurants throughout the Lower Mainland on the Mother's Day Campaign. These partner restaurants will donate partial proceeds of meals during Mother's Day weekend to BC Children's Hospital Foundation. Whether it's a celebratory brunch, or a divine dinner, choose one of the partner restaurants, enjoy time with your mother and support BC Children's in the process. For more information go to www.bcchf.ca/mother-s-day-campaign.

Kids Raising Funds for Kids

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:02:37 -0700

It’s the time of year when Sunny Bear visits schools in the Lower Mainland, educating students about the hospital and ChildRun. Recently Sunny Bear stopped by Queen Elizabeth Elementary School, and boy were the kids inspired!

Each of the kids in grade three thought about what they would like to sell to raise money to help kids with cancer, with fundraising efforts going to ChildRun. They decided that every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school, for two weeks, they would sell their wares. They made $117 on their first day alone (Monday, April 23rd)!

If you’d like to help these great kids in their fundraising efforts, stop by Queen Elizabeth Elementary after school, at 4275 Crown Street in Vancouver, on Wednesday or Friday this week! Some of the stuff they intend to sell is: homemade jewellery, beading, stuffies, candy "popsicles", treat bags, Rice Krispie squares and knitted scarves.

We’d love to hear how you’re fundraising for this year’s ChildRun. Let us know at childrun@bcchf.ca or call 604-875-2444. We may even feature you on the blog, Facebook or Twitter!

If you’re looking for more fundraising ideas visit www.ChildRun.com and download the Fundraising Handbook!

Join our Jeans Day BBQ at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:17:47 -0700

Join us this Thursday, April 26 at the Vancouver Art Gallery for our annual Jeans Day^TM BBQ lunch! We’ll be firing up the grill between 11:30am and 1:30pm and wearing our best denim to support kids in BC. Stop by on your lunch break and say hello!

This year’s event features lots of amazing talent to keep you entertained while you chow down on some yummy BBQ! Live music from Vancouver band Sideone and dance performances by Canada’s Got Talent finalist, FRESHH Hip Hop crew. Not to mention special appearances by Canucks’ Fin and BC Children’s Hospital’s Sunny Bear.

Lunch packages include a smokie or veggie dog, chips, drink and pasta salad and are only $5 with your Jeans Day^TM pin. Don’t have your pin yet? No worries! For $10 you can get a pin and lunch package to show your support.

If you can’t make it to the Vancouver Art Gallery we will also be having a Jeans Day^TMBBQ at the Children’s Hospital cafeteria between 11:30am and 1:30pm.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there; don’t forget to wear your jeans!

Bobs & Lolo Fundraising Challenge

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:14:58 -0700

Energy, music and motivation! That's what comes to mind when we watch Bobs & Lolo on Treehouse TV. This dynamic duo is dedicated to connecting kids to the natural world with music, movement and make-believe which is why we couldn't resist the opportunity to partner with them on a brand new fundraising project.

The Bobs & LoLo Fundraising Challenge for BCCHF is a Facebook fundraising campaign that you can customize with a personal message of support and then share with your friends. If your personalized fundraiser is successful, you could even win a prize. We've teamed up with the online fundraising experts at Fundrazr to bring fundraising efforts on behalf of BC Children's Hospital straight to your Facebook page. We have so many stellar supporters who write and comment on our Facebook page on a regular basis and we hope to continue coming up with original ways for you to support BC Children's Hospital.

Joining this special fundraising initiative is nice and easy. Just follow these four steps and jump over to the Bobs & Lolo Fundraising Facebook page:

1. Enter the challenge. We'll ask for your contact details to notify you if you win.

2. Kick off your challenge entry by donating. The more you give, the more your friends will give. (This is optional.)

3. Share your challenge entry on Facebook, Twitter and by email. Sharing is the key to fundraising success.

4. Every donation to your challenge entry helps a great cause. Plus, the more money you raise, the bigger your chances of winning a prize.

Bobs & LoLo are two of our favourite people and we're grateful for their energetic and interactive attitude toward fundraising. Their music always has audiences on their feet, singing and dancing. It's energy like this that we love to see at BC Children's Hospital! Happy fundraising!

BC Children's Hospital Foundation Cover Photos

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:31:37 -0700

On March 30th, 2012, Facebook turned over all Facebook pages to the new timeline feature. Timeline allows users to customize their home page and fill in their profile with events spanning their entire life starting with the day they were born.

Part of the new timeline feature is the custom cover photo you can add to your profile. Here at BC Children's Hospital Foundation, we've begun creating a series of cover photos for our online supporters. Please visit our cover photo Flickr album and download our Jeans Day banner. Or you can right click on the photo below for download.

Meantime, stay tuned for more cover photos that support Miracle Weekend and other hospital events.

A New Beginning

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:16:05 -0700

Meet Grace, a young girl from Maple Ridge who received a new kidney from her father, Dennis, in August 2010.

On Monday, it was Grace’s 7th birthday, and she chose to celebrate at BC Children’s Hospital. On this day a plaque was unveiled in the Renal Dialysis Unit to showcase how funds were raised by friends, family and BMO Bank of Montreal, in honour of Grace to purchase a brand new machine that helps process blood in a post-kidney transplant patient. Grace spent several days a week on a machine just like this after her kidney transplant, but it was a model that was severally outdated. Today Grace and her family were able to celebrate the new machine being installed, and their success of bringing more modern care to kidney transplant patients.

View Grace's Global TV story.

Happy Birthday Gemma

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:03:51 -0700

Recently one of the families we profiled through our Speaking of Children magazine reached an important milestone. Amanda and Charlie Bostik celebrate their daughter Gemma’s second birthday. While this seems like a rather typical milestone for a child to reach, for Gemma, this was considered almost impossible when she was born.

Gemma was born with a terminal neuromuscular disorder, and her parents have been working hard to give their daughter the best quality of life possible. Read more about Gemma’s second birthday. Read Gemma’s full story in our Speaking of Children magazine.

Read more on Gemma's birthday in the Richmond News: http://ow.ly/9vPan

Meet Ben in our Spring Speaking of Children Magazine

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:31:29 -0700

Winnie Tam is a Communications Office for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

This week we’re inspired by 13-year-old Ben Fullerton of Langley. Ben was born with cerebral palsy and uses a power wheelchair, and a speech-generating device to help him communicate.

Thanks to his electronic gadgets, custom-fitted for him by caregivers at Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Ben has written speeches, won speaking contests, and he loves telling jokes. He controls the movements of his wheelchair and computer mouse by tapping his head against switches built right into his headrest. Like most teens, Ben enjoys playing computer games and chatting with his friends online.

Read more about Ben, and other kids at Sunny Hill, in the spring issue of Speaking of Children.

Speaking of Children Spring 2012 Magazine now available

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:06:48 -0800

Winnie Tam is a Communications Office for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.

This spring’s Speaking of Children magazine is all about Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children. Located in East Vancouver and a sister facility to BC Children’s Hospital, Sunny Hill provides one-of-a-kind care for children who have complex developmental and rehabilitation needs.

In this issue, you will meet a toddler who, when she was 17 months old, lost her ability to walk, swallow and sit up overnight due to seizures. She was sent to Sunny Hill to help her relearn the skills she had lost so suddenly and, thankfully, she is now on her way to recovery. You will also meet a teenager who uses a custom-fitted wheelchair to help him communicate and participate in sports. Finally, you’ll read about the gait lab at Sunny Hill and how our caregivers use advanced motion-capture technology to assess children with walking challenges.

Look out for this issue in your mailbox next week or enjoy reading this issue of Speaking of Children online.

New 2012 Eco-Friendly Jeans Day™ Buttons

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:51:40 -0800

Straight-leg, boot-cut, skinny or flared; whatever your favorite style of jeans may be, make sure you’re wearing them on Jeans Day™, Thursday April 26. Celebrate with the rest of BC by purchasing a $5 button or $20 lapel pin to show your support for BC Children’s Hospital and help make a difference in the lives of BC’s sick and injured kids.

We are extremely excited to present to you our newly re-vamped, re-designed lapel pin and button. This year, for the first time, the buttons are a cardboard-based material called “chipboard”; made from 100 per cent post-consumer fibre. The artwork laminated on the front of the button is made from 10 per cent post-consumer fibre and 90 per cent from sustainably managed forests. We didn’t stop there… the inks used are UV-curing, vegetable-based inks! Talk about eco-friendly!

Last year Jeans Day^TMraised over $1.3 million dollars and we need your support again! Join the nearly 12,000 people who like us on Facebook and be our next fan. Visit our website at www.jeansday.ca and become a Jeans Day^TMChampion and place your order for this year’s exciting new buttons!

Lights! Camera! Miracle Weekend!

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:10:55 -0800

Production for the 25^th annual Miracle Weekend is well underway and last week our crew was working on an upcoming vignette about a day in the life of Child Life Specialists. This unique team at BC Children’s Hospital help children and their families cope as they go through medical experiences. We had fun following around this team as they helped children cope with their hospital stay through play.

Here we tagged along with Claire as she played cars with five-year-old Dakota. Claire has been working with Dakota and his family since he arrived at Children's Hospital, and helped him as he prepared for open heart surgery.

Dakota had surgery on Monday, and by Wednesday he was in the play room beating Claire in air hockey. I am always amazed at how fast children recover from major procedures!

We also caught up with Bernadette who came to visit five-year-old Brayden. Brayden has been at Children’s Hospital for more than a month recovering from surgery and being monitored for seizures. He looks forward to spending time with Bernadette and building Lego together, as it helps him feel like a regular little boy when he gets to play.

Mark your calendars for the 25^th annual Miracle Weekend on Global BC, broadcasting live June 2 and 3 from BC Children’s Hospital. You’ll be able to see the finished Child Life vignette, and learn about many other interesting caregivers and patient families.

Introducing Kierra And Katrina McIvor As The Champions For This Year's Slo-Pitch Tournament

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:07:50 -0800

Ashleigh Gulkiewich is a Philanthropy officer at BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and event coordinator for Slo-Pitch for BC Children.

It’s crisp outside, but February is well on its which means spring is just around the corner and with the promise of spring comes the desire to take advantage of fun outdoor sports - even if you are just cheering on the team from the sidelines, like I do.

One of my favourite community sports is softball. Perhaps I’m a bit biased, being the coordinator for the annual Slo-Pitch for BC Children’s Hospital tournament, but I know i’m not alone in the love of this sport. We can see it from the support we receive every year for Slo-Pitch

Entering our 22^nd year with this event over 70 corporate teams – that’s about 1000 participants - grab their gear and head out to Softball City to enjoy recreational softball games for one day during the May 25^th weekend in support of BC’s kids.

Yes, it’s a great family event and corporate team building event, so it’s easy for companies to dedicate the time to come to the event, but I also acknowledge that it takes a lot of dedication from our participants who commit to raising a minimum $3,000 per team, and collectively raised over $400,000 last year alone.

A driving factor for this success is helping out kids like this year’s patient champions Kiarra and Katrina McIvor.

Six years ago, Kent and Kelly McIvor received the unexpected diagnosis that first, their two-week-old daughter, Kiarra had cystic fibrosis (CF), and then that her older sister, Katrina, also had this genetic disease.

CF is the most common of all genetic diseases and affects about 3,800 people in Canada. It attacks the entire body, but mostly causes chronic lung and intestine inflammation – which means Kiarra is unable to absorb nutrients and is susceptible to bacterial infections.

The McIvor family view BC Children’s Hospital as their home away from home with their frequent visits to a variety of specialists such as dieticians and CF doctors. Kiarra and Katrina both take an active role in their daily treatment and manage their CF through a daily regimen of medication and physical therapy and for the most part the girls, now nine and six, stay healthy and as active as any kid their ages.

We are happy to have Kiarra and Katrina act as the 2012 Slo-Pitch patient champions in recognition of their commitment to staying active and not letting their desease prevent them from taking part in sports – like softball – that they love so much.

Help honour Kiarra and Katrina by putting together a corporate or community recreational softball team and going to bat for BC’s kids May 25, 26 & 27 at Softball City. If you share their story with your supporters, your team will have no problems raising the $3000 entrance commitment. Join today at www.bcchf.ca/slopitch or email be at slopitch@bcchf.ca. Let’s play ball for BC’s kids!

A Story with Heart - Addison McArthur

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:46:26 -0800

In honour of Valentine's Day, I wanted to share with you a story about an amazing little girl, Addison McArthur. Addison arrived on her due date, and her parents, Global News reporters, Aaron McArthur and Elaine Yong, could not have been more thrilled to welcome their healthy baby girl. But three short weeks later, Addison's life took a critical turn, and she was suddenly in need of new heart to survive. Watch the Global News story on baby Addison.

Also see in today's Vancouver Sun a profile on Dr. Sanjiv Gandhi, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, who performed Addison's heart transplant.

Festival of Trees Success

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:13:22 -0800

As the holiday season wraps up and we get geared up for spring, we say goodbye to the lavishly decorated trees that have filled the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel and the corridors of Pacific Centre. This year the Festival raised an astounding $159,491.53 for BC Children's Hospital, thanks to our wonderful sponsors, including Presenting Sponsor, Union Securities and Venue Sponsors, The Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and Pacific Centre. Didn't get a chance to attend? Attend virtually through our Flickr Gallery and remember set a task in your calendar for next year!

Festival of Trees 2011 is underway!

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:35:19 -0800

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the Festival of Trees 25th anniversary on Wednesday November 23, 2011. This evening wouldn't be possible without our presenting sponsor, Union Securities, or our venue sponsors, the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and Pacific Center Mall. Tree sponsors were hard at work decorating from morning to afternoon"¦ dressed in holiday-themed outfits to match their trees. Each of the 46 trees is unique and incredible! Congratulations to everyone involved on such elaborate designs. Throughout the day we had a couple very special visitors drop by - Santa and Sunny Bear of course! The annual Red Robin and Vancouver Trolley Company sponsored a trip for BC Children's Hospital patients and families to come down and create their own decorations before hanging them on the Red Robin tree reserved just for them. We were also lucky to have a special celebrity designed tree this year. Jillian Harris, from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition created a very special tree that will be auctioned off next week at the 25th annual Crystal Ball. All the trees are on display until January 4, 2012. Be sure to bring your family and friends to the Four Seasons Hotel and Pacific Centre to vote on your favourite tree! All voting ballots will be entered in our draw. Three winners will receive one of the following prizes: a trip for two with WestJet, a one week swim camp from Atlantis Programs, and a one week bike camp from Pedalheads Bike Camps. Don't forget you can also make a wish on our special WISH tree, sponsored by the Delaney-Wolverton Family. Ornaments are available on site for you to record your wish and help decorate the tree.

Festival of Trees Awards

Congratulations goes out to all of this year's winning trees and stay tuned for our People's Choice tree in January!

THIS YEARS FESTIVAL OF TREES WINNERS: (*W = Winner & *HM = Honorable Mention) Most "Green" Tree W: Buddha's Light International Association HM: Chloe's Tree

Most Child-Like Tree: W: Teekay Corporation HM: West Point Grey Academy Best Team Spirit Tree: W: The Delf Group Inc. HM: WorkSafe BC Best Corporate Expression Tree: W: LUSH Handmade Cosmetics HM: Tracey Jackson Law Corporation Most Traditional Tree: W: Morguard Investments HM: RBC Dominion Securities Kerrisdale (Greg Southgate) & Coast Capital Savings Credit Union Best 1^st Year Tree: W: Milani Plumbing HM: Guardian Capital Advisors LP Most Creative Tree: W: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP HM: Union Securities Ltd. [gallery order="DESC" columns="4" orderby="rand"]

Family Centre Care Celebrated During the First Annual Family Fair

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:19:09 -0800

Family Fair and Family Centred Care Awards: Thursday, November 17 There are a lot of great resources for families at BC Children's Hospital, and the upcoming Family Fair is helping to showcase them. On Thursday, November 17^th, the first annual Family Fair is taking place in the Shaughnessy Auditorium at BC Children's Hospital from 12 - 4 pm. The goal of the Fair is to promote awareness of family support services and programs at BC Children's & BC Women's Hospitals. Families and hospital staff can learn more about the Family Support & Resource Centre, Sunny Hill Education Resource Centre, Partners in Care, Spiritual Care, Aboriginal Health, Youth Health, the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, the Provincial Language Service, and meet the Family Support Coordinator, Andrea Freeman. Everyone is welcome to attend - staff, patients and families. There will be food, prizes, and loads of useful information. There will also be colouring available for little ones, and a paper wall for families to add inspiring thoughts about BC Children's Hospital. And in the middle of this festive fair, there is an annual celebration of caregivers! The Partners in Care Family Centered Care Awards is held from 1 - 2:30 pm. Patient families have nominated those health care professionals who weave the principles of family centred care through their daily work, and made a tremendous impact on the well being of their child. Go here for the list of the 2011 Family Centre Care Award recepients. The Family Fair is an initiative by the Family Support & Resource Centre Working Group. Please contact fsrc@cw.bc.ca or (604) 453-8335 for more information.

Celebrating World Diabetes Day

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:38:01 -0800

Courtesy of The Child & Family Research Institute communications team. It has been almost 90 years since Canadians Sir Frederick Banting and Dr. Charles Best discovered insulin, saving and improving the lives of people with diabetes around the world. Today, nearly one in four Canadians have diabetes or pre-diabetes. 2000 children in BC have type 1 diabetes. Nationally, rates of type 1 diabetes continue to rise, particularly in children age five to nine years old. In response to this alarming rate, scientists at the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children's Hospital are building on the legacy of Dr. Banting and Dr. Best through innovative research aimed at preventing and curing diabetes in children. The Diabetes Research Program at CFRI is made of up 19 of Canada's rising stars in the field of diabetes research. Together, they are working to answer three key questions:

1. How can we prevent diabetes? 2. How can we stop a child's immune system from destroying beta cells? 3. How can we grow new beta cells?

Each question has prompted dozens of ongoing translational research projects involving CFRI scientists and clinicians in collaboration with researchers around the world. Today, we are taking a moment to celebrate this global collaboration and to promote World Diabetes Day, which was created by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in 1991, in response to growing concern over rising rates of diabetes and the serious complications associated with the disease. For more information about Diabetes Research Program, please email diabetes@cfri.ca.