March • 2022
globalheroes.com
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Being a part of the #YourStoryOurVoice campaign gave me the wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the importance of mental health and my own lived experiences at an international level.
© COURESTY OF RABIAH DIWAH
An Emotional Story, a Powerful Voice Rabiah is committed to lending her voice to champion Every year, Canada’s Walk of awareness and education about Fame, a national not-for-profit mental health inequities, organization that works to shine suicide prevention, and a light on extraordinary achievers disability justice, not just in and their journeys, reaches out her community but throughout to Canadians to nominate a the nation. From acting as a deserving young person for the voice for her country in the Community Hero Program. House of Commons to sharing Presented by Maple Leaf Sports her story with people on the & Entertainment (MLSE) other side of the world, Rabiah and Scotiabank, this program is achieving things that her recognizes an inspiring Canadian “14-year-old self never thought under 30 who positively impacts were possible.” their communities and beyond. In “Having the opportunity 2021, the fourth annual year of to speak at the House of the Community Hero Program, Commons was one of the the winner was B.C. native greatest privileges and Rabiah Dhaliwal, founder of the opportunities of my life,” Voices for Hope foundation. shares Rabiah. “I remember being very nervous about the At just 22 years old, Rabiah reception I would get from Dhaliwal has already impacted members of parliament who countless lives for the better—and were present. Afterward, many she’s only just getting started. government officials from The activist, humanitarian, various parties shared their and pageant queen has long mental health experiences, whether that be their own been an advocate for mental health resources and education, mental health struggles, or a mission that has taken her watching their loved ones go across Canada and her voice through difficulties. It was an across the globe. eye-opening experience for me When she was in grade that proved to me that mental 11, Rabiah struggled deeply health is something we should with her mental health. Her all care about, across political dark mental state, combined lines, because it affects each with a lack of healthy coping and every one of us.” mechanisms or mental As a neurodivergent youth health support, led Rabiah of colour struggling with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, to an attempted suicide. Her recovery, however, opened up Rabiah has faced more than her fair share of challenges and a pathway that she had never before considered and changed adversities. Through it all, she her life forever. has championed positivity, Now, as a survivor of suicide, always looking for a way to use RAYE MOCIOIU
her voice to raise awareness, call for education, and build connections with others who may also be suffering. In 2019, Rabiah was selected to kick off and be the face of World Cup winner and professional soccer player Mesut Ozil’s #YourStoryOurVoice campaign, where she shared her story with millions across the globe. “Being a part of the #YourStoryOurVoice campaign gave me the wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the importance of mental health and my own lived experiences at an international level,” says Rabiah. “I was grateful to simply be able to share my experiences, and my only hope was that the campaign reach even one person who may be struggling and make them feel a little less alone.” Her humble expectations were greatly exceeded—after the campaign was launched, she was flooded with messages of support and encouragement as the campaign reached 80 million people across the globe. “It was overwhelming in the best sense of the word! I spent a great deal of my childhood in and out of hospitals due to my mental health struggles. So, I’m simply most proud of surviving and persevering through adversity in a world where it often felt like the cards may be stacked against me. Learning the hundreds of stories of young people who said my voice and advocacy efforts gave them the courage to speak on their own
experiences was truly an honour. It gave me the strength and motivation to continue my work and serves as a daily reminder of why I champion mental health awareness and education.” Learning the power of sharing her story led Rabiah to create her foundation, Voices for Hope, focused on challenging mental health stigma through an intersectional lens, giving BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals a platform to share their experiences. Through the foundation, Rabiah is working to establish Canada’s firstever “sensory hub” program, giving students a safe space to decompress when they need it. “I came up with the idea to start a sensory hub program in schools after going through mental health difficulties in high school and postsecondary,” Rabiah says. “I didn’t feel like I had a safe space while at school to decompress when I was feeling anxious or experiencing a sensory overload.” After working with a local hospital’s dementia unit to win a grant to buy sensory equipment for patients, Rabiah says that a light bulb went off in her head. “I thought, why don’t we have sensory equipment in schools for students with mental health issues, autism, and sensory-processing disorders? Thus, the idea came to fruition. Right now, my team and I are engaging with diverse
stakeholders to launch our first pilot program at a local school or youth centre. The sensory hub will be a therapeutic space with sensory technology, stim toys, special lighting, calming visuals, and sounds where students can go when they’re feeling overwhelmed.” In 2021, Rabiah and Voices for Hope took on a noble relief effort, thanks to a grant from The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. This organization was developed by His Royal Highness Prince Philip to empower youth to lead service projects in the communities. “A saying that really exemplified to me the importance of how the pandemic has affected us all in different ways is that while we all may be facing the same storm, we are in different boats, and some of our boats are not as well-equipped as others,” shares Rabiah. “I wanted to do my part and use my sphere of influence to aid in relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am proud to say that we donated 1000 wellness and self-care products to frontline workers at a local hospital and provided therapy microgrants for Indigenous people to ease some of the financial burden that comes along with accessing mental health treatment. We just launched our second round of funding and our goal is to keep growing our microgrant program to even more communities in need.” ADVERTORIAL
Racing to a Pain-Free Future for Kids with Arthritis When David Porte’s daughter, Cassie, was first diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis (JA) just before her second birthday, he felt confused (could kids even get arthritis?), alone, and fearful for her future. He soon learned that JA affects more than 24,000 children in Canada, causing painful/swollen joints, rash, fevers, and even blindness—and yet, it is poorly resourced and little understood. Wanting to get involved, he signed up for a local charity run in Vancouver, and the rest is history. Fifteen years later, Cassie + Friends (C+F) is the largest and only charity in Canada that works exclusively on behalf of affected youth and their families. “Our mission,” says Porte, who also serves as C+F’s Board Chair, “is to transform kids’ lives because that’s what is needed—a total transformation when it comes to awareness, treatment options, school support, pain management, and most crucially, a cure.” To make that happen, C+F recently launched a campaign
DAVID AND CASSIE © THIS IS IT STUDIOS, ISABELLA SARMIENTO
to raise $500,000 for the newly formed Cassie + Friends Care and Research Network (CREW). This campaign aims to rapidly advance JA research and make sure kids can access the best possible care and treatments, no matter where they live in Canada. This March, CREW is set to award its first $150,000
in grants thanks to the support of youth, families, healthcare professionals and dedicated community partners, including Nicola Wealth, BMO, Trillium Projects, Keystone Environmental, Westland Insurance, the Y.P. Heung Foundation and the Arthritis Society.
March also marks Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month and Porte’s 15th year running with Team Cassie + Friends, now 300+ runners strong, with events in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, Toronto, and Halifax. “In 2007, when I first started this race, it was still common to see children in wheelchairs or permanently disabled due to their arthritis,” Porte shares. “Since then, new treatments have drastically changed their outcomes, but the reality is that most kids, up to 65 percent, will spend their lifetime in pain due to arthritis and taking aggressive medications that come with their own difficult side effects.” At just 16 years old, Cassie is now on her fifth medication for her arthritis, which painfully affects her wrists and ankles, after other treatments failed to control her symptoms. In order to keep up at school and as a competitive dancer, she takes a weekly injection of methotrexate (a low-dose form of chemotherapy) and a
Kids aren’t just small adults with arthritis. Learn more and donate at cassieandfriends.ca
bi-weekly injection of Tocilizumab. When needed, Cassie also takes steroid drops for inflammation in her eyes. Porte says he can’t wait to see what the next 15 years will bring for kids with arthritis, including Cassie, and won’t stop running until kids get the pain-free futures they deserve. “We’ve got world-leading specialists and researchers right here in Canada and some really passionate youth and parent advocates leading the charge. All we need now is for anyone who’s seen, heard, or experienced the damage JA can do on a growing child’s body and mental health to step up and help us do better for kids.” To join an in-person or virtual Team Cassie + Friends Run/ Walk or make a donation in support of CREW, please visit cassieandfriends.ca. If you or a loved one has been impacted by Juvenile Arthritis or another childhood rheumatic disease, we hope you will share your experience on social media using #15YearsFromNow.
