Patient Stories
Sharing the stories of patients who benefit from health research and innovation
Here we share the stories of Canadian patients who have benefited from some of the excellent health research and health innovation initiatives being undertaken by Research Canada’s Members.
Health research and innovation support the development and enhancement of health products and services that ultimately save lives and ease the suffering of patients. Patients themselves play a critical role in the health research and innovation ecosystem, bringing information and experiences concerning their conditions and diseases that inform medical research and help to deliver more patient-centred treatments and services.
Aidan Deschamps: Rare disorder
CHEO Research Institute | Ottawa, Ontario
Unbeknownst to him, the Ottawa baby is a pioneer in medicine, the first in Canada, outside of clinical trials, to be treated for a rare and often fatal neuromuscular disease using gene replacement therapy.
Andrea Redway : Cancer du poumon
Médicaments novateurs Canada | Ottawa, Ontario
« L’accès à des médicaments et à des traitements novateurs a été crucial pour ma famille. »
Lacy Cranston: PTSD
Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) | Kingston, Ontario
« One article was all it took for my husband’s entire outlook to change. »
Rebecca Van Fraassen: Rare disorder
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre | Toronto, Ontario
« I’m grateful to my doctor and am also one of the lucky ones who’s on treatment. »
Shannon Gaudette : Mélanome
Médicaments novateurs Canada | Ottawa, Ontario
« Sans ce type de médicaments, je ne serais pas ici aujourd’hui. »
Sharon: Ovarian cancer
Ovarian Cancer Canada | Toronto, Ontario
« To find new treatments, we need the clinical trials out there. »
Sherry Pang : La maladie de Crohn
Crohn et Colite Canada | Toronto, Ontario
« Depuis 25 ans maintenant, je recueille des fonds pour la recherche afin de trouver des remèdes à la maladie de Crohn et la colite ulcéreuse, car c’est la recherche qui m’apporte le plus grand espoir. »
Vivienne and Ben: Dementia
Canadian Frailty Network | Kingston, Ontario
Canadian Frailty Network invests in Canadaian-made, innovative approach to dementia
Giving patients and caregivers a voice in setting research priorities
Myeloma Canada | Dorval, Quebec
« Research is publicly funded. It affects the treatment and the quality of life of patients. Why shouldn’t patients have a say in what gets researched and what’s going to affect them? »
Bringing together the research and patient community virtually
ALS Society of Canada | Toronto, Ontario
“The research process can take years from discovery to a peer-reviewed publication. The Community Fellows [pilot] program gave me the opportunity to skip through time and learn about Canada’s top researchers’ work, their vision, and goal for a future without ALS. »