The Kidney-Link - The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Quebec Branch

Your Health

Preventing Skin Cancer

Kidney-Link Spring 2012

Quebec Branch Newsletter

The Kidney Walk Needs You!

The Kidney Walk will take place on May 27, 2012, in eight cities across Quebec. In anticipation of the event, people whose lives have been impacted directly or indirectly by kidney disease are telling their story. They’re kidney donors and recipients, doctors, nephrologists, and parents of children suffering from kidney failure, and they have stories to tell.

They also have something else in common: they all dream of improving quality of life for people living with kidney disease.

Whether they work centre stage or behind the scenes, their involvement in the Foundation’s cause is vital because it helps the public understand the realities of kidney disease.

Your Health Preventing Skin Cancer After undergoing a kidney transplant, your risk of developing skin cancer increases, so it’s especially important to adopt a healthier lifestyle and avoid staying in the sun too long.

President’s Message ..................................................... 2

Research ...................................................................... 9

The Kidney Walk........................................................... 3

Organ Donation .......................................................... 10

News from the chapters ............................................... 7

Bulletin board.............................................................. 11

Patient services ............................................................ 8

The foundation of kidney care

President’s Message

The personal information you have provided is used only to send you this newsletter. To stop receiving it, please e-mail us at infoquebec@kidney.ca or call us at 514-938-4515.

Readers: You can help enrich our newsletter by sharing your experiences with kidney disease or kidney transplantation. Please send a text of no more than 300 words, along with a high-resolution photo, to infoquebec@kidney.ca.

COORDINATION AND WRITING Antoine Ardiley CONTRIBUTION Christopher Gobeil GRAPHICS AND PUBLISHING Ardecom PRODUC TION Ardecom CONTAC T US: The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch 2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West, Montreal, QC H3H 2R5 TELEPHONE 514-938-4515 or 1-800-565-4515 FAX 514-938-4757 E-MAIL infoquebec@kidney.ca Circulation: 10,000 copies The Kidney-Link newsletter and Your Health insert are published three times a year by the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Distributed in English and French to all people suffering from kidney failure, these publications provide valuable information on the Foundation’s services and activities, including the latest findings on kidney disease and organ donation.

The opinions expressed in KidneyLink and Your Health do not necessarily reflect those of the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, its directors, employees or members.

Moving? Please let us know at infoquebec@kidney.ca.

Articles may be reproduced provided that the source is quoted.

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Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

Working toward the Adoption of the 2012–2015 Strategic Plan During The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch Annual Conference to be held May 4 to 6, 2012, we will be adopting a new strategic plan to guide our actions until 2015.

Considering that its adoption is pending, it would be premature to publish its contents.

However, we’re pleased to tell you a little about the major themes we’ve been discussing.

Christopher Gobeil President

Increasing volunteer numbers in order to extend the Foundation’s reach and the number of activities held in Quebec

The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch has decided to invest in its chapters to fulfill its mission in the province. And the best way to build and develop chapters is to recruit, train and support volunteers. The Quebec Branch will continue to support and equip the volunteers who work for the chapters, while seizing and creating opportunities to build up the local chapters in the most populous regions, with special emphasis on those with dialysis centres.

Implementing mechanisms to ensure a constantly growing and recurring revenue stream to fund the Branch’s increasing operations The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s fundraising culture was built around annual donations—events, door-to-door campaigns, The Kidney Walk and direct-mail solicitation. Our fundraising activities have long included special events, such as galas, golf tournaments and benefit dinners. These campaigns and events foster community participation and play a dual role: raising funds and increasing public awareness. However, such campaigns can also generate higher costs. To reach our main objective of ensuring a constant and recurring increase in revenues under the responsibility of the Branch, we will assess every event and activity and continuously improve our methods with an eye to reducing our funding costs; we will develop new sources of revenue and major donations, and replace those sources that have plateaued or are on the decline.

Raising public awareness about the importance of the Foundation’s mission, kidney disease and organ donation We will never be able to advance the cause of kidney failure to any significant extent if we work in the shadows. We will never be able to prevent kidney disease if the public is unaware of the causes and the risks. We will never be able to gain the support of volunteers and donors if they are not convinced of the vital nature of our mission and the benefits our organization provides to society. We will therefore work harder to inform the public about kidney disease and its devastating effects; pursue and intensify our efforts to screen the general public for this disease, with a special focus on at-risk groups; help provide ongoing training to health professionals who are not nephrology specialists; demonstrate the impact research has on the lives of patients and the hope it brings; raise awareness of organ donation to encourage members of the public to confirm their consent; and ensure that the families of the deceased respect their loved ones’ wishes to donate organs. And lastly, we will spread the word about the essential role the Foundation plays in ensuring the well-being of patients and the importance of supporting the organization.

Positioning ourselves as the organization that promotes the well-being of Quebecers suffering from kidney failure The Foundation provides important services to people suffering from kidney failure. However, we recognize with great humility that the most vital services are in fact delivered to patients by the government via the healthcare network.

For that reason, the Foundation plays a leading role in ensuring that people suffering from kidney failure have access to high-quality health services. The enactment in early 2011 of Bill 125, which promotes organ donation in Quebec, responded to a number of demands brought forth by the Foundation in previous years to advance the cause of people awaiting a kidney transplant.

Our Organ and Tissue Donation Committee has developed an action plan to substantially increase the number of kidney transplants. We are now poised to turn words into action to convince the healthcare authorities to make the kind of changes that will put an end to the systemic constraints currently preventing the maximum possible number of transplants from taking place.

This will be followed by a dialysis and prevention action plan.

We will consult with people suffering from kidney failure to confirm that the services we provide are meeting their needs.

We will also ask people suffering from kidney failure and their loved ones to show their support for the Foundation by getting involved.

The discussions that have taken place in the lead-up to the strategic plan’s adoption have provided us with insight into the stimulating challenges in store over the next four years. We are convinced that the discussions held at our annual conference will help us not only to improve the proposals we plan to table, but also to mobilize around common strategies to better fulfill our mission.

Together we can make a difference

The Kidney Walk

The Kidney Walk This year, The Kidney Walk will take place simultaneously in Dolbeau, Dollard-desOrmeaux, Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec City, the Saguenay, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.

The event’s objective is to help fund research and raise public awareness about kidney disease and the importance of organ donation. It’s a perfect opportunity for dialysis patients, transplant recipients, donors’ families, living donors, the medical community and the general public to support the advancement of renal health and organ donation.

Our spokespersons Martin Héroux An actor known for his roles in the television shows 1,2,3…

Géant, Dieu merci ! and L’auberge du chien noir, as well as his theatrical performances.

For more information and to register online, please visit

Bruno Savard Host of the Radio-Canada news program Téléjournal Québec.

www.kidney.ca/quebecwalk.

Inspiring Stories Dr. Marie-José Clermont With over 20 years of involvement in the Foundation’s activities, Dr. Clermont is a woman of commitment who created the summer camp for dialyzed and transplant recipient children from Quebec.

Created in 1993 by The Kidney Foundation of Canada, the camp gives over 60 children a year the chance to enjoy a week of holidays while continuing their treatments, thanks to the dedication of a volunteer medical team from Sainte-Justine Hospital and the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

By the time the symptoms of kidney disease appear, it’s already too late. Every year, The Kidney Walk reminds us that we need to keep our kidneys healthy to ward off diabetes and high blood pressure, the two main causes of kidney failure.

Ever since sitting on the first Kidney Walk Committee in 2009, Dr. Clermont has consistently joined a team of nephrologists who “walk The Walk” for patients and their families.

According to Dr. Clermont, the comfort level, closeness and trust that develops between doctors and patients are key to the success of The Kidney Walk, and she would like to see record numbers turn out for this year’s event, to give the Foundation the degree of visibility it needs to fulfill its mission.

She hopes patients and their families will take part in this year’s Kidney Walk. “It’s a great way to get out and exercise,” she said.

“Chronic disease requires doctors and hospitals to take an unremitting approach to care and to develop a long-term relationship with patients.

We become close to them,” said Dr. Clermont.

Dr. Marie-José Clermont is a nephrologist at Montreal’s Sainte-Justine Hospital and a member of the MontréalMétropolitain Chapter’s Board of Directors.

Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

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The Kidney Walk - Inspiring Stories Sébastien Larochelle

Sabrina Nimour

Sébastien Larochelle received a kidney in June 2000.

At 23, Sébastien Larochelle found out that he had Berger’s disease and that his kidneys were functioning at only 50% capacity. This was devastating news for Sébastien, a highlevel athlete and Canadian university champion in the 60 m hurdles event with a promising athletic career ahead of him. One year later, he started dialysis… three times a week for five hours at a stretch. The treatment was tough and lasted two and a half years until the day his doctor told him they’d found a compatible donor, someone who could give him back his health. The transplant took place on June 26, 2000.

Three months later, complications set in and Sébastien had to undergo an operation to deal with an infection he’d contracted. The operation was a success, and only eight weeks later, he was back in training. His goal? To compete in the 2001 World Transplant Games in Kobe, Japan, only a year after the transplant. He took home two gold medals in track and field (100 m and 200 m).

In 2003, he did it all over again in France, successfully defending his two titles. In 2005, he was off to London, Ontario, to defend his medals again. But because of injuries, he had put track and field aside and started training as a swimmer. He returned home to Montreal with two silver medals, one for the 50 m freestyle, the other for the 100 m. Today, Sébastien is training for the 2013 World Transplant Games in South Africa.

On May 27, 2012, Sébastien will be taking part in The Kidney Walk.

“It’s a great way to raise public awareness about the reality of living with kidney disease, and it’s a fun way to raise funds for research,” said Sébastien.

“And as someone who’s competing in the World Transplant Games, physical activity is symbolic to me,” said Sébastien, who would like to see more people than ever take part in The Kidney Walk. “It’s an opportunity to get out and move, something that can be tough for some transplantees,” he said, adding that sport helped him control his extremely high blood pressure.

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Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

Sabrina Nimour and her son Malik, who has suffered from kidney failure since birth.

You might have read Malik’s story in the Spring 2010 Kidney-Link. Today, he’s three and a half, and although he still suffers from kidney failure, his kidneys are slowly improving.

“He’ll be going to school in 2013, so we’re preparing him for the kind of schedule he’ll have,” said his mother, Sabrina Nimour.

Malik is growing normally and sees his doctors every six months. “If he remains stable, Malik won’t need a transplant until high school,” she said. Malik’s relatively good health is due to the “extraordinary work of the doctors at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and of nurse Paule Comtois in particular,” she added.

Ms. Nimour has been involved in The Kidney Walk since 2009. At this year’s Kidney Walk, which will be held on May 27, she’d like to see a great turnout and generous donations to help boost the event’s profile.

“My community knows what Malik is going through. They all give a lot, but the battle is far from being won,” she said, adding that she wants to personally “raise a lot of money to support the cause.”

Together we can make a difference

The Kidney Walk - Inspiring Stories Lyne Beaulieu

Luc Despatis

Lyne Beaulieu gave one of her kidneys to Raphaëlle (age 8).

On June 15, 2010, Lyne Beaulieu of Granby gave a kidney to eight-year-old Raphaëlle Gosselin, changing her life forever.

Raphaëlle had been suffering from kidney failure from a very tender age. In November 2008, when she was six, doctors decided to remove both her kidneys because they’d stopped working. After the operation, she had to undergo dialysis six hours a day, every weekday for two years until she was old enough to receive a donor kidney.

It was Raphaëlle’s grandmother who made Lyne aware of the child’s situation.

Touched by her story and by how young she was, she decided to donate a kidney to Raphaëlle. Lyne is a universal donor, so she knew she was compatible.

She had met Raphaëlle only a few months before deciding to give her a kidney. She contacted Sainte-Justine Hospital to tell them what she wanted to do, and then, under the supervision of Dr. Clermont, she underwent a series of compulsory tests in the first half of 2010. Lyne persevered and pushed the hospital to minimize the time between tests. Her goal was to get Raphaëlle her transplant as soon as possible to spare her the painful dialysis treatments.

“I admire this family. They’re what kept me going,” said Lyne.

Lyne and Raphaëlle met only once more before the transplant. Lyne gave Raphaëlle a stuffed toy. “It’ll bring you good news,” Lyne told her.

The transplant took place on June 15, 2010, and was successful.

In the days that followed, Lyne received a call from Raphaëlle, who told her the good news. She had just finished drinking a glass of apple juice, a glass of orange juice and a glass of water, one after the other. Lyne knew that such simple things meant the world to the little girl and was overjoyed to see Raphaëlle leading a normal life like all the other girls her age.

However, Lyne keeps a low profile when it comes to Raphaëlle’s family.

“I didn’t give her my kidney, I just gave her a kidney,” she said. “I’m just a link in the long chain of life.” She added that during this “incredible journey of solidarity,” she had “experienced great things.” She would also like to draw attention to the “outstanding skills of the doctors and the kindness of the nurses” throughout the transplant process.

She encourages the public to take part in The Kidney Walk and to sign their health insurance card to indicate that they want to donate their organs.

Luc Despatis has had four kidney transplants in 33 years.

At 48, Luc Despatis really knows what “transplant” means.

Over a 33-year period, he had four kidney transplants and as many courses of dialysis. His story is as extraordinary as it is eventful.

When he was 14, doctors noticed that he had a malformed kidney and ordered a battery of tests. They discovered that both his kidneys were working at only 25% capacity. He then did a nine-month stretch of dialysis, until the day his father decided to give him the ultimate gift, one of his own kidneys.

Unfortunately, the transplanted kidney did not adapt to its new environment, and a second operation to correct the problem didn’t work. Luc’s body rejected the kidney his father had given him.

Luc had no other choice but to go back on dialysis until the day he underwent a second transplant. This one gave him his normal life back for 11 years.

However, history repeated itself and one day, his body began rejecting the kidney. But only a month later, out of the blue, a new kidney became available for Luc. He underwent a third transplant in 1993.

In 2007, after 14 years of faithful service, that kidney stopped working, and Luc had to go back on dialysis for over a year.

His fourth and latest transplant took place in 2008, further proof that the services The Kidney Foundation of Canada provides enabled him to maintain high hopes through every stage of his illness.

Luc would like everyone to mark May 27 in their calendar and participate in The Kidney Walk to help promote organ donation and improve quality of life for people like him who live with kidney disease.

Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

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The Kidney Walk - Inspiring Stories Dr. Beth Foster Dr. Beth Foster is a nephrologist at the Montreal Children's Hospital

I became aware of the Kidney Walk a few years ago when Louis Charest was promoting it at the school that my children, and his daughter attend.

Obviously, as a nephrologist, I was interested in the walk, and in promoting participation. As a former KRESCENT New Investigator award recipient, I felt that I should get involved, to help support The Kidney Foundation. After all, The Kidney Foundation support that I received made a huge difference to me and to my research. My involvement in the walk has been primarily to work toward increasing awareness among patients and families of the important work of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, and to increase participation of patients and families in the walk. We have made good progress, and have every reason to believe that this year will be the best year yet.

The Kidney Walk Sunday, May 27

8 par ticipating regions On May 27, build you team and walk with us to support kidney health and organ donation To register:

kidney.ca/quebecwalk

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Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

We're behind you all the way

Your Health The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Quebec Branch

Spring 2012

Preventing Skin Cancer Recipients of a kidney transplant are obliged to take immunosuppresors to prevent rejection. These medications weaken the body’s defences, sometimes causing skin infections or cancers to appear. Transplant recipients in particular are obliged to pay special attention to screening for this complication, which can be very serious.

Skin cancers are more prevalent among transplant recipients, appearing mainly in areas of the body that are exposed to the sun. On average, the onset period for these cancers is seven to nine years after transplant and twenty to thirty years earlier than persons who haven’t undergone a transplant.

The publication of this special feature was made possible thanks to the financial support of:

YOUR HEALTH • Spring 2012

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Your Health WHAT IS SKIN CANCER? Skin cancer originates in the skin cells and takes the form of a malignant skin tumour that develops in the layers of the epidermis and dermis, and in the sweat and sebaceous glands. Most tumours, like warts, are benign. But others are malignant and can metastasize to separate organs.

We are currently witnessing a rise in the incidence of skin cancer. Since 1990, skin cancer cases have increased by two-thirds in Canada.

Moreover, one in seven babies born today runs the risk of contracting skin cancer later in life.

Persons who run a higher risk of developing skin cancer include: • transplant recipients;

TYPES OF SKIN CANCER

• people with fair skin or freckles;

SKIN CANCERS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN CATEGORIES: MALIGNANT MELANOMAS AND NONMELANOMAS

• people with a considerable number of beauty marks;

Malignant melanomas can appear at any age and usually strike people with fair skin. Melanoma is a rare but serious form of cancer, as it can generate metastases and invade other organs. In 2011, an estimated 5,500 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in Canada.

Nonmelanomas affect mostly people over fifty and account for 90% of skin cancers. The name stems from the fact that it develops at the deepest level of the epidermis. In 2011, an estimated 74,100 new cases of nonmelanoma will be diagnosed in Canada (20,000 new cases in Quebec).

WHO IS AT RISK OF DEVELOPING SKIN CANCER? No one is completely immune to the sun’s effects. Over time, repeated exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer.

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Nowadays, the risk of skin cancer is much higher than it was twenty years ago, due mainly to our increasingly active lifestyles. People are spending more time working and having fun in the sun, often without adequate protection. In addition, because of ozone thinning caused by pollution, chemical and otherwise, we are now exposed to a higher proportion of ultraviolet rays.

YOUR HEALTH • Spring 2012

• people who work outdoors; • people who have had serious sunburns; • people with a family history of melanomas; • people with psoriasis treated with methoxsalen and ultraviolet light.

Prevention measures ACCORDING TO EXPERTS, USING SUN PROTECTION CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF SKIN CANCER

BY UP TO NINETY PERCENT. THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS WILL HELP TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CONTRACTING THIS DISEASE. • Protect the skin and avoid sunburn; • Apply sunscreen (minimum SPF 30) approx. thirty minutes before exposure to the sun and avoid prolonged exposure. Re-apply after swimming; • Whenever possible, wear a hat, long sleeves and pants; • Stay in the shade between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun is at its most intense; • Keep children in the shade; all children must wear a hat and maximum-protection sunscreen;

Your Health • Check the skin regularly for new beauty marks or moles; if the size, colour or shape changes, or if there is flaking, speak to your care team; • Carry out a head-to-toe examination every month (including the dorsal area of the body, the scalp and the flap of the ear); • See your family physician on an annual basis for an examination of your entire body; if you discover a new lesion or observe a change in an existing lesion, advise your physician or your kidney transplant nurse.

However, the most effective means of preventing skin cancer is to avoid direct exposure to the sun, especially during the middle of the day.

Did you know that…

Skin cancer is the most widespread form of cancer.

Success rates for skin cancer treatment would be 100% if all cases were treated before they had a chance to spread; hence the importance of prevention through early detection by a physician.

Statistics • In 2011, an estimated 5,500 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in Canada (760 new cases in Quebec); • The incidence of skin cancer increases by 5% annually worldwide; • Skin cancer rates rise by 15% a year in Quebec and have increased by 600% in the past twenty years; • An estimated 50% of people over 65 will have at least one episode of skin cancer in their lifetime.

HOW ARE SKIN CANCERS DIAGNOSED? Before advancing a diagnosis of skin cancer, your physician will ask questions about your state of health and examine you for signs and symptoms.

In general, though, a skin biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis, and biopsies often entail the use of a local anesthetic. If the cells are cancerous, further tests will be carried out to determine how fast they are growing.

In short, the melanoma patient’s survival depends mainly on early detection and treatment, whether it involves a new lesion or a change in a beauty mark. Therefore, any change in the appearance of the skin must be duly noted. This includes a change in colour, size or consistency, or the onset of itchiness or bleeding, although skin cancers are not painful in the early stages.

PLANNING A VACATION? People who are sick tend to scrap their travel plans. Yet it’s still possible to stray far from home even a few months after a receiving a transplant.

Here are a few tips aimed at helping you plan your next vacation: • People travelling by air are advised to keep their medication close at hand, and, in the event of a time difference, to take their immunosuppressors at the usual times once they adapt to the local time zone; • People intent on being vaccinated should remember that some vaccines are contra-indicated for transplant recipients; speak to your care team to find out which vaccines are safe; • Remember to bring enough medication to last the entire vacation; YOUR HEALTH • Spring 2012

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Your Health • Make sure that you have good insurance coverage, but be careful: most travel insurance does not cover medical problems related to kidney failure and transplantation; • In your wallet, carry a document indicating your organ recipient status (in the local language or at least in English), together with a list of the medications you are taking as well as any diseases or allergies you might have; • If you are on a special diet, do not hesitate to contact your hotel in advance to inform them; • In all cases, it is important to protect your skin against the sun, since immunosuppressant treatment increases the risk of skin cancer, and exposure is the pre-eminent factor. Avoid exposure, try to wear long sleeves, a hat and sunglasses, and use a sunscreen with the maximum sun protection factor (SPF).

Your Health is a publication of the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Its aim is to provide general information on kidney disease, its complications and treatment. The information contained in Your Health in no way constitutes medical advice.

For comprehensive information on transplantation, please contact your physician or care team.

For more on the services and programs offered by the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada: 1 800 565-4515 or www.rein.ca/quebec References: Public Health Agency of Canada: phac-aspc.gc.ca Fondation québécoise du cancer : fqc.qc.ca The College of Family Physicians of Canada: cfpc.ca Passeport santé : passeportsante.net Renaloo: renaloo.com Canadian Cancer Society: cancer.ca

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YOUR HEALTH • Spring 2012

Services auxChapters patients News from the SAGUENAY/ ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE LAC-SAINT-JEAN CHAPTER CHAPTER Saguenay Christmas Dinner on December 15 and 16, 2011 The Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean Chapter’s annual Christmas dinner was held December 15 and 16, 2011, at the Chicoutimi health and social services centre. The event was attended by some 150 people, including a large number of kidney patients, all of whom received gifts generously donated by sponsors.

The Lise and Michel Perron Challenge Held February 25, 2012, the fourth annual Lise and Michel Perron Challenge, formerly known as the Défi des Petits Lacs, was a huge success, raising nearly $10,000 for the Foundation.

To support the Foundation’s cause, skiers came out in great numbers and took to the cross-country trails in the Petits Lacs region despite the -18°C weather.

Michel Perron, a long-time Foundation volunteer who received a kidney transplant 19 years ago, attended the event with his wife, Lise, to encourage the dedicated and clearly courageous skiers.

“Again this year, we’ll use the money we raised to increase public awareness about the important role organ donation and kidney research play in giving people with kidney disease a better quality of life,” said Mr. Perron.

The Foundation wishes to thank everyone involved in the event.

Effyane Laberge is a nurse at the CSSS de Chicoutimi, and Anna Gonzaga has been on dialysis since 2009.

NEXT EDITION ON THE WEB The Kidney-Link Fall edition will only be available on the web. Send us your email at infoquebec@kidney.ca, you will get a copy hot off the press and run the chance to win a Future Shop gift card worth $ 100. A draw amongst all valid email addresses will take place. You have until May 31 to register

The foundation of kidney care

Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

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Patient Services To receive documentation and information about the programs offered by the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, refer to the “Patient Programs and Support” and “Organ Donation” sections of our Web site at www.kidney.ca/quebec, or contact: Hélène Boisvert, Programs Director The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch 2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West Montreal, Quebec H3H 2R5 Tel.: 514-938-4515, ext. 224, or 1-800-565-4515 E-mail: helene.boisvert@kidney.ca

Summer Camp for Quebec’s Dialyzed and Transplant Recipient Children The summer camp for dialyzed and transplant recipient children run

by The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch will be held from Saturday, August 4 to Friday, August 10, 2012. Dr. Marie-José Clermont, a nephrologist at Montreal’s Sainte-Justine Hospital, will be on-site the entire week with a team of nurses from the Montreal Children’s Hospital and Sainte-Justine Hospital.

Scholarships The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s scholarship program was created to provide financial support to dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients in the pursuit of college and university studies. The application deadline for the Fall 2012 semester is September 30.

Bell Mobility Pagers Thanks to an agreement between The Kidney Foundation of Canada and Bell Mobility, people awaiting a kidney transplant can rent a numeric pager with unlimited service in a specific coverage area free of charge for 12 months, as long as Bell provides coverage in that area.

Upon receiving the first invoice from Bell Mobility, it is very

important to send them another “request form for patients awaiting a kidney transplant” to renew the free pager service. The service is valid for 12 months, so you must send Bell Mobility a new request form to indicate that you are still on the kidney transplant waiting list. If you fail to send it in, your pager service could be terminated.

To obtain the form, simply contact the Foundation.

Prevention

Mrs. Sara Ottoboni, Assistant - Administration & Communications at The Italian-Canadian Community Foundation (ICCF), sponsor of the Kidney Foundation Kidney Health Center and Mr. Luciano D'Ignazio, CA at Schwartz Levitsky Feldman and president of the Founder's Award Campaign – The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

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The Kidney Foundation participated in the Health Show held at Complexe Desjardins on April 10 and 11. Through the Kidney Health Center, the Foundation was able to raise awareness about the importance of kidney health and conduct testing for diabetes and hypertension, two major causes of kidney disease.

Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

The Foundation wishes to underline that the holding of the kiosks is made possible through the generous support of its donors and sponsors, including ICCF (The Italian-Canadian Community Foundation)

Together we can make a difference

Research

Dr. Daniel Bichet: The value of pure and applied research One of Canada’s most respected researchers, Dr. Daniel Bichet is a Nephrologist at Montreal’s Sacré-Coeur Hospital and at the Université de Montréal where he is also Professor of Medicine and Physiology and runs a basic physiological laboratory.

Since 1982, Dr. Bichet has conducted groundbreaking research, often with funding from The Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC).

“I was very interested in the physiology of kidney function,” Dr. Bichet begins. “In 1992, I received a 2-year KFOC grant. That grant led to a major breakthrough in detecting a rare disease called diabetes insipidus in which patients excrete large amounts of urine due the loss of function of the kidney’s vasopressin receptors.”

Dr. Bichet explains: “Newborn infants with this disease are at risk of dehydration because they cannot voice their thirst.” He and his team determined the origin of diabetes insipidus by cloning and sequencing AVPR2, the gene responsible for it. Says Dr. Bichet, “Because mothers are the carriers of this gene, we can now take blood from the umbilical cord of at-risk newborns and diagnose it within five days. Our lab continues to do this free of charge.”

Dr. Bichet has written the book on nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, “on how we approach it and how we can detect it early, thus preventing dehydration episodes in infants that could lead to mental retardation and death.”

Moreover, his research has proven applicable to many other common diseases including heart failure, cirrhosis and hyponatremia.

Dr. Bichet is a strong advocate for basic research: “Without that preliminary type of work, nothing would have been possible. The idea that science should have immediate benefit is some kind of illusion.” He believes

Dr Daniel Bichet

The Foundation is doing a great job, but they need more money. “I’m very proud that they helped me and I think I gave something back.”

Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

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Organ Donation

GIFT OF LIFE - HUMANITARIAN AWARD Have you donated a kidney to a loved one or received a kidney transplant?

Did your employer support you by continuing to pay your salary throughout the process or by giving you time off for medical examinations?

Let the public know about your company’s generosity by nominating it. Fill out the Registration form available on our website

Would you like to help the Foundation by holding your own fundraising activity?

www.kidney.ca/humanitarian The Gift of Life - Humanitarian Award was established by The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Quebec Branch in 2006 to recognize the humanitarian efforts of companies which facilitated, in various ways, transplantation or donation of a kidney for one or more of their employees. This award aims to educate companies in Québec to the importance of supporting their employees in the process of kidney donation or transplantation.

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Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

Find out how by calling Development Director Linda Pellas at 514-938-4515, ext. 227.

Together we can make a difference

Bulletin Board Mark your calendars • The Kidney Walk , May 27 • Eastern Townsh ips Chapter’s Coffee Club Meet ing, June 18 • Summer camp f or Québec dialysis and transp lant children, August 4 to 10, 20 12 • Laval Police Spa ghetti Day, September 23 • CODA Gala, Oct ober 26

Golf

ments Tourna

olf apter’s G h C y t i C • Quebec nt, June 4 Tourname ent Tournam f l o G s ’ ham ub, • Cunning n Golf Cl o c l a F s ’ n at Hudso , ormation f in r o f ( June 8 a Pellas d in L t c a t con 27) 15, ext. 2 5 4 8 3 9 at 514 r’s s Chapte i t, a u o a t u urnamen •O o T f l o G arron Aimé-Ch June 15 lf paign Go m a C d r a r’s Aw • Founde ember 17 t p e S , t n Tourname

Departure of Joëlle Turck, Director of Volunteer Resources It is with great sadness tha t I hav e acc ept ed Joëlle Turck’s resignation from her position as the Fou nda tion ’s dire cto r of volunteer resources.

Joëlle will be taking on new challenges for another organization closer to her home.

Joëlle joined the Foundation’s team in March 2009 and made a strong mark during the three years of her tenure. She Quebec’s local chapters, provided a great deal of support to ips and in the Outaouais particularly in the Eastern Townsh . She initiated the holdand Saguenay/Lac-Saint-Jean regions ussions on the chapters’ ing of chapter meetings, where disc ch served as a great future directions were held and whi also supported local training ground for volunteers. She ir own annual budget and chapters in the development of the work plans. in drafting the Quebec Moreover, she played a leading role chapters’ operations.

Branch’s guidelines governing the eer Committee’s, which She supported the work of Volunt rds of recognition, and reviewed all of the Branch’s awa . developed new tools for volunteers great contribution to the I would like to thank Joëlle for her level, for her invaluable Branch, and on a more personal ays app rec iate d her col lab ora tion wit h me . I hav e alw , and her keen undereffi ciency, her result-oriented nature wish her the best of luck standing of the volunteer sector. I in her new position.

Martin Munger ndation of Canada Executive Director of The Kidney Fou – Quebec Branch Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

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The mission of The Kidney Foundation of Canada The Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to lessening the burden of kidney disease through: • funding and stimulating innovative research; • providing education and support; • promoting access to high quality healthcare; and • increasing public awareness and commitment to advancing kidney health and organ donation.

www.kidney.ca/quebec

Quebec Branch 2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West Montreal, Quebec H3H 2R5 Tel.: 514-938-4515 1-800-565-4515 Fax: 514-938-4757 infoquebec@kidney.ca

2012

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Kidney-Link • Spring 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation