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

Free Online Tool “Kidney Community Kitchen” www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca

Your Health

Kidney-Link Volume 24 • No.3 • Winter 2012

Quebec Branch Newsletter

Your Health Spotlight on nutrition The brand new Free Online Tool “Kidney Community Kitchen” lends a hand for your meals planning.

Some features details on Your Health.

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. More information on page 9

The Kidney Walk The traditional Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk will be held on Sunday, May 27 in 6 cities of the Québec province.

More information on page 11

• A word form the President and the Executive Director ........................................ 2

• Research ................................................................. 10

• News from the Chapters .......................................... 4

• Bulletin Board .......................................................... 11

• Patient Services ........................................................ 6

• Organ Donation ........................................................ 8

The foundation of kidney care

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 Claude Pigeon, Céline Quintin et Claire Tardif 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 Kidney-Link 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.

Message from the Executive Director and the President Chapters: the pillars of our foundation To carry out its mission, our organization needs a solid presence throughout Quebec. Thanks to our chapters, we are able to play an active role in the province’s most populated regions. In an organization such as The Kidney Foundation of Canada, the existence and survival of a region’s chapter relies on one fundamental condition: the commitment of volunteers who support the Foundation’s mission on the ground.

Patient services The Foundation provides certain remote patient services, such as disseminating information about kidney disease and nutrition, a Web site, a contingency fund, pagers on loan, and scholarships. The chapters deliver front-line services that include meeting with patients at the dialysis centres, information sessions and activities promoting organ donation, and the annual Christmas party. A number of sections have also developed the Coffee Club Meeting concept over the past few years. These gatherings foster friendly discussions on specific themes of interest to a given region’s patients—nutrition, taxation, lifestyle, and the psychological impacts of being diagnosed with kidney disease.

Fundraising activities The sections also help the Foundation financially by organizing fundraisers aimed at their respective region’s potential donors. The most popular local activities include The Kidney Walk, door-to-door canvassing, golf tournaments and benefit galas, such as the Eastern Townships Chapter’s benefit dinner and the Founder’s Award Gala. These events raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help fund research, patient services and the promotion of kidney health and organ donation.

The key role of volunteers Kidney disease often places a heavy burden on patients, while posing a major challenge for the Foundation: recruiting volunteers. Because dialysis sessions last several hours, they tend to sap the energy of those undergoing treatment, which can limit the time they can give to volunteering. Yet the existence and survival of the chapters depend almost exclusively on the volunteers who keep things running. That’s why, despite essential contributions from patients, the Foundation also needs to rely on their loved ones, on transplant patients who have regained a better quality of life, and on socioeconomic players.

Regardless of where they come from and how they are linked to kidney disease, volunteers are the Foundation’s life force. We would like to thank them for their invaluable contribution.

Our chapters are stronger, but we need more of them In its latest strategic plan, the Foundation had made finding and recruiting new volunteers one of its priorities, both regionally and province-wide. Over the past three years, major efforts have been made to achieve this goal, with tangible results. Volunteers were recruited in a number of regions, and three chapters were relaunched. The Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Eastern Townships and Outaouais chapters were given new life and joined the ranks of the Québec City–Chaudière-Appalaches, AbitibiTémiscamingue, Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec and Montréal-Métropolitain chapters. In all these regions, patients are now better served, people talk about kidney health and transplants, and the whole community is encouraged to donate to our cause.

You will probably have noticed in the above list that some regions are still not served by the Foundation.

This situation is one that all of us have the responsibility to improve. That’s why we encourage anyone who cares about the well-being of patients suffering from kidney failure to contact Joëlle Turck at 514 938-4515, extension 233, to discuss available volunteer opportunities in your region.

Christopher Gobeil President

Martin Munger Executive Director

Articles may be reproduced provided that the source is quoted.

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Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

Together we can make a difference

Simply volunteering can lead to donations to the Foundation

By Claude Pigeon, Administrator of The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch

Following the death of a dear aunt of mine, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that her will included a planned donation to The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Most surprising was that nobody we know – not her, not me, not her family or friends – had kidney disease. Just because she knew I had been involved with the Foundation for a number of years, she thought it worthwhile to support our cause by leaving a bequest to the Foundation.

Through her gesture, she gave a nod to those who give their time volunteering.

When I thought about it, I realized that our discussions about kidney disease and the Foundation were what led

her to make such a generous gift; she gave just because a member of her own family was involved in supporting the cause. If anything, this should inspire all Foundation volunteers to speak to those around them about the time they give and the efforts they make to help improve the wellbeing of people suffering from kidney disease.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with appealing to friends, family and coworkers for donations, but simply being a volunteer and letting others know about it can unexpectedly lead to donations.

Nutrition, more ressources for people suffering from kidney failure Food plays an important role in the treatment of people with kidney disease. As a nephrology nutritionist, I am often asked by my patients for meal plans and recipes so they can improve their health by applying the nutritional advice they receive.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s new nutrition Web site (www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca) was created in response to this kind of request and provides a host of meal-planning ideas, including a shopping list. The site also features recipes, discussion forums, a blog, and an FAQ page. From now on, nutrition and kidney health won’t hold any secrets for you!

I strongly encourage you to visit the site, because it was designed for you with help from specialists in the field. Of course, if you have specific questions, feel free to consult your nutritionist because he or she is the one who knows your personal situation best.

Have fun exploring the site! I hope you find it useful and that you’ll rediscover the joy of eating well!

Céline Quintin, P.Dt Notre Dame Hospital (CHUM) Past President, Quebec Association of Nephrology Dietitians Montreal,Quebec Céline is a renal dietitian with more than 20 years experience. She has always tried to find ways to help her pre-dialysis, dialysis and transplant patients improve their quality of life. Among many other projects, she has published a number of pamphlets featuring health tips for her patients.

Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

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News from the Chapters MONTREALMETROPOLITAN

A few examples of living donation

The Founder's Award Campaign The Kidney Foundation of Canada's 21st annual Founder's Award Campaign Closing Gala took place on December 23, 2011 at Le Windsor. Karen Kear-Jodoin, Norma Passaretti and Colleen Wicha served as co-chairs. The honourary president was Tony Loffreda, head of the National Client Group for Quebec of RBC Royal Bank.

This event celebrated and recognized the generous contribution of living donors to individuals in need of a kidney in Quebec.

The Founder's Award Campaign allows the foundation to meet the goals of its mission statement - to fund and stimulate innovative research, provide leadership in the promotion of organ donation and provide patient services, including a summer camp expressly adapted for children with kidney disease. Over $550,000 was raised. “This year's gala shows how essential organ donation is,” said Luciano D'Ignazio, chairman of the Founder's Campaign and a partner at the accounting firm of Schwartz Levitsky Feldman.

“Thanks to their selfless act, a life was saved. It was important for us to highlight such an exceptional deed.”

Robert Sébastien gave a kidney through the Canadian Living Donor Paired Exchange registry.

Normally everyone has two kidneys, although a person can live a healthy life with one. Living donation occurs when a person freely decides to donate one of their kidneys to someone in need of a transplant. This compassionate gesture offers the individual waiting for a transplant an alternative to dialysis or a deceased donor transplant.

Donating a kidney is the most frequent type of living organ donation. A living kidney transplant is the most successful of all transplant procedures.

Sylvie Morrissette gave a kidney to her son Philippe Caron in 2010.

Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter’s annual meeting Members from the Montreal area are invited to the annual meeting of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter to be held March 21, 2012, at 5:30 p.m., at the Foundation’s offices, located at 2300 René-Lévesque Boulevard West in Montreal.

RSVP by March 12, 2012, by contacting Jocelyne Renaud at 514-938-4515, extension 230, or at jocelyne.renaud@rein.ca.

Thank you!

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Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

Dr Christopher Manfredi gave a kidney to his wife Paula Bontá in 2009.

Together we can make a difference

News from the Chapters Headliners’ Happy Hour The latest Headliners’ Happy Hour (5@8 Têtes d’affiches) took place at the Montreal offices of law firm Stikeman Elliott on November 16, 2011.

This concept launched by the Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter of The Kidney Foundation of Canada seeks to shine the spotlight on young Montreal entrepreneurs who stand out in their respective fields.

Around a hundred people enjoyed the friendly, laid-back atmosphere of the event, now in its second year, where they had a chance to mix, mingle and network with the evening’s four headliners. By the end of the evening, the Foundation had raised over $7,200 ($3,200 more than the inaugural event), which will be used to improve the day-to-day lives of people suffering from kidney disease.

“The evening was a hit. Not only did we succeed in raising

awareness among attendees about The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s activities and mission, but we also surpassed our fundraising objectives, far outdoing last year’s results. We can’t wait to do it all over again next year,” said Alexandre Raymond, Vice-president of Development for the Montréal-Métropolitain Chapter and creator of the event’s concept.

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS 17th Annual Jean-Jacques Bégin Benefit Dinner The traditional benefit dinner in honour of Jean-Jacques Bégin took place on October 7, 2011, at the Club de golf Sherbrooke, which hosted the event for the very first time.

At the dinner, 230 guests delighted in succulent oysters and a sumptuous buffet. Thanks to attendees’ generosity, the event raised $16,000.

Over the course of the evening, The Kidney Foundation of Canada paid tribute to Hélène Plamondon, who died on August 16, 2011. In her last years, she was, together with her friend Josée Parenteau, one of the architects behind the rebirth of the Foundation’s Eastern Townships Chapter. She was a member of that chapter’s board of directors and its treasurer, as well as a member of the Quebec Branch’s board of directors.

Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

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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

Income tax Did you know that people living with kidney failure are entitled to tax credits? To

“Are My Kidneys Healthy?”

A brochure especially for cultural communities In a bid to reach people from communities at high risk of contracting diabetes or prediabetes and give them the keys to a healthy lifestyle suited to their respective cultures, a brochure was created to respond to their specific needs. The brochure’s goal is to help diabetics and people with high blood pressure or kidney disease to better manage their illness and the related risk factors.

The Programme d’éducation et de dépistage ciblé pour la santé rénale, a project promoting education and targeted screening for kidney health that was developed in conjunction with the Public Health Agency of Canada, aims to screen for diabetes and diabetes risk factors among people belonging to a number of ethnicities (Asian, South Asian, African/Caribbean and Latin American).

More generally, the brochure was designed as an education tool for these communities. In addition to being published in English and French, it has been translated into six other languages: Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Hindi, Vietnamese, Punjabi and Urdu.

find out more, refer to the Web sites of the Canada Revenue Agency (www.craarc.gc.ca) and Revenu Québec (www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca). You may also obtain the required forms and get advice from the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s programs director.

Pagers Get a free pager! Bell Mobility offers people awaiting a kidney transplant a free pager for a renewable one-year period.

Ask the Foundation’s programs director for the appropriate forms; her particulars are listed opposite. Note that in order to renew your subscription, you will need to complete a new registration form at the end of the 12- month period.

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Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

We're behind you all the way

Your Health The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Quebec Branch

Volume 23 • No. 2 • Winter 2012

Kidney Diet Just Got Easier: Free Online Tool Lends a Hand in the Kitchen

www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca

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

YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2012

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Your Health For people living with kidney disease, managing their diet feels like a full-time job. The new website www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca has just arrived and will help them. The Kidney Foundation of Canada launched a new online space called the Kidney Community Kitchen, designed specifically to reduce the burden of coping with kidney disease diets.

Free and easy to use, www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca provides a way to plan meals and track intake of critical nutrients. Some of its features include: • Dietitian-approved and kidney-friendly recipes • Drag-and-drop meal planner that tracks vital nutrients • Drag-and-drop, ready-to-go weekly meal plans created by dietitians • The ability to submit your recipes to be added and reviewed by dietitians

• I have kidney disease and am taking an herbal supplement. Is this safe?

• Can I Take My Own Vitamin Supplement?

• I use sea salt. Is that healthier for me than table salt?

Kidney Kitchen Cookbook Welcome to the Kidney Kitchen Cookbook with recipes chosen specifically for people living with kidney disease as well as meal plans created by our dietitians. The Kidney Foundation of Canada plans for this resource to continue to grow and evolve: more recipes and meal plans will be added regularly, seasonal and celebration meals will be included and we encourage you to submit your recipes, thoughts and ideas. Bon Appétit!

Meal Planner

• A way to ask nutritional questions of qualified dietitians • Forums for sharing stories, ideas and favourite recipes • Diabetic exchange amounts—good for people monitoring diabetic and renal diets • Tips, FAQs and other nutritional info about the kidney diet

Here are some important questions that you will find answers on the website: • Can I still eat out on a renal diet?

• What vitamins do I need to avoid if I have kidney disease?

• What vitamins do I need if I have kidney disease?

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YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2012

Set goals for yourself

Our meal planner will help you set your nutritional goals (such as no more than 2000mg of sodium per day) and help you track how you’re doing.

Plan your meals

Our easy “drag-and-drop” meal planner can search for recipes by meal type (e.g. lunches) or diet type (e.g. low potassium)

Your Health Track your daily intake and how you feel

You will be able to monitor your daily intake of sodium, phosphorus, potassium and protein intake and keep notes about how you’re feeling each day.

Share your meal plans

If you choose, you can share your meal plans with family and friends or with your renal dietitian

Kidney Diet Information

There is no standard “kidney diet” and managing your kidney diet needs can be quite challenging, especially if you have to balance two or more different diets at the same time (such as a diabetic diet or heart health diet with your kidney diet).

As well, your kidney diet can have a big impact on your quality of life on everything from how well you feel to participating in family celebration and holiday meals.

A renal diet is simply a diet that has been prescribed for someone with kidney disease and is based on the stage of kidney disease, blood work results, medications and any other dietary needs.

Since there is no standard renal diet, the diet can vary from person to person and can change over time. The goals of the diet are complex but can be broken down as such: • To prevent build-up of the toxins that healthy kidneys normally clear out of the blood; • To reduce the workload of the kidneys (before dialysis); • To prevent complications that can occur from a build-up of toxins;

people may require a fluid restriction as well. A registered dietitian will help to devise a nutrition care plan that is individualized to meet your specific needs.

Managing Your Diet

Many people living with kidney disease feel that the renal diet is the most difficult part of treatment. Managing a renal diet can be challenging for a number of reasons: • There is no standard “kidney diet” – it’s complicated and it changes over time depending on kidney function; • Many people need to balance two or more diets such as a diabetic diet and/or a heart health diet along with a renal diet and they can often disagree; and, • The diet can be really limited, especially if you have food allergies, intolerances and/or restrictions; and, • Many of the guidelines and suggestions for healthy eating no longer apply when you’re following a renal diet and you may need to avoid some fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

The renal diet can also have a big impact on your quality of life and your social activities: • Grocery shopping, label reading and preparing renal friendly meals can seem like a full time job; • It can be difficult to eat out and still control your sodium, potassium, phosphorous and protein intake;

• To meet all your nutritional needs.

• Friends and family may not know or understand what you can eat; and,

While the diet may be different for everyone the common themes are restricted sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and low or high protein needs. Some

• You may miss some of your favorite foods and feel left out of holiday meal traditions and celebrations.

YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2012

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Your Health

The Kidney Foundation of Canada has created the Kidney Community Kitchen to help address these challenges. This site is a celebration of food for people living with kidney disease – in addition to kidney friendly recipes and meal plans; we’ve created information and fact sheets to help you manage your diet. This section of the web site will continue to expand as we get

requests for information so please let us know if there’s anything you would like us to add in the future.

Dietitianʼs Blog

Our Dietitians’ Blogs provide fun, factual and interesting information for eating renal-friendly.

HONEY-GINGER CRACKLES Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 8-10 minutes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Karen Lynn Anderson Granby (Quebec) Karen Lynn Anderson is an expert chef who has cooked in Canada, France, and Italy. She shows us how to cook simple, healthy, delicious meals for those who must follow a renal diet.

INGREDIENTS • 3/4 cup shortening • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1 egg • 1/4 cup honey • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoons baking soda • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger • 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon • 1 teaspoon ground cloves • Granulated sugar for coating

PREPARATION • Preheat oven to 325°F ( conventional oven ) • Cream together wet ingredients in one bowl.

• Prepare dry ingredients by sifting flour with soda and spices in a second bowl.

• Blend dry ingredients into wet and mix thoroughly yet quickly.

• Drop in heaping tablespoons into granulated sugar, roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet or on parchment paper, 2 inches apart.

• Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the middle of the oven, remove and cool on tray before transferring to rack.

Suggestion: These cookies are very low in phosphorus and potassium: non-diabetic patients can have 2

Renal Diet Nutrient Analysis Servings per recipe: 30 cookies Serving size: 1 cookie Nutrient Analysis Calories: 112 Protein: 1g Carbohydrates: 16g Fibre: 0.4g Total Fat: 5g Sodium: 90mg Phosphorus: 13mg Potassium: 18mg Renal and Diabetic Exchanges 1 starch

Source: Spice it up! Fall/Winter 2009.

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YOUR HEALTH • Winter 2012

Patient Services Bas-St-Laurent region hosts symposium on kidney failure prevention The symposium on kidney failure prevention organized by The Kidney Foundation of Canada was held on October 21, 2011, in Quebec’s Bas-St-Laurent region and was attended by 95 people. Aimed at health professionals (general practitioners, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists and hospital administrators from the Bas-St-Laurent region), local community health centres (CLSCs), nursing homes (CHSLDs), private clinics and medical centres, as well as representatives of the Agence de santé et de services sociaux du Bas-St-Laurent, the symposium’s main objective was to raise awareness about the realities of chronic kidney failure.

However, the symposium had many specific objectives, including to: • Give participants a sense of the realities of chronic kidney disease in Quebec.

• Demonstrate the importance of prevention when it comes to chronic kidney failure.

• Inform participants about kidney failure’s impact on patients, society and the economy.

chronic kidney failure (prevention).

• Inform participants about the means used to recognize and treat the medical complications of chronic kidney failure.

• Inform participants about the right time to direct a patient toward kidney substitution treatments (dialysis and kidney transplant). This event was made possible thanks to the hard work of the following Organizing Committee members: Chairman: • Dr. Pierre Nantel, Nephrologist, Sorel-Tracy’s Hôtel-Dieu Hospital.

Dr. Pierre Cartier

Members: • Dr. Pierre Cartier, Nephrologist, Saint-Jérôme Hospital;

• Inform participants about the risk factors leading to chronic kidney failure.

• Louise Corneille, Nephrologist, Centre hospitalier ambulatoire régional de Laval (CHARL), Laval’s Cité-de-laSanté Hospital.

• Inform participants about the medical means to prevent

Thanks to our sponsors: Janssen inc. and Shire Canada.

Christmas party for young dialysis and transplant patients at Sainte-Justine Hospital On December 11, 2011, over 100 people took part in the traditional Christmas brunch for all the children in SaintJustine Hospital’s kidney dialysis and transplant unit, after which the gifts under the tree were distributed. The activities that followed in the afternoon included games, crafts and dancing for young dialysis patients.

the event’s logistics, and thank her for attending the event along with a number of Bombardier employees.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada would like to extend its most heartfelt thanks to Maryse and Normand Pineault, as well as to the entire team of volunteers, for organizing this wonderful party.

Thank-yous also go out to the Bombardier Aerospace Employee Charity Fund for purchasing all the gifts for the children and for putting together the scrumptious buffet for the brunch. We would like to underscore Claudia Côté’s role in

The foundation of kidney care

Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

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Organ Donation When donating a kidney means doing something for yourself

By Claire Tardif, who donated a kidney to her husband, Jean-Guy Desrochers, on June 16, 2011

Doing myself some good meant deciding, without batting an eyelash, that I wanted to donate a kidney to my husband, who had suffered from kidney failure for six years.

Doing myself some good meant understanding that someone had given me a guardian angel, France Martineau, a specialized nurse from the Royal Victoria Hospital, who was with me throughout this incredible experience, and who, to this day, takes very good care of me.

Doing myself some good meant putting my trust in an amazing team of nurses and medical specialists who made this miracle of life a reality.

Doing myself some good meant gratefully receiving help from my employer and my co-worker, who gave me the flexibility I needed to undergo the seven months of medical tests that would eventually confirm that I could donate a kidney to my husband.

Doing myself some good meant accepting the wave of spontaneous generosity on the part of our neighbours Karen, Dan, Mario, Andrea and Josie who, upon hearing of what we were doing, all got together to whip up healthy meals and make sure I felt safe while my husband remained in hospital. And then there was Frank who, out of the kindness of his heart, mowed our lawn all summer and raked our leaves in fall.

Claire Tardif donated a kidney to her husband, Jean-Guy Desrochers.

Today, doing myself some good means looking at my husband, the man I gave my kidney to on June 16, 2011, and seeing that he radiates new-found energy. I can’t help but think about the wonderful opportunity I was given to present him with this gift, and about the long life together we now have ahead of us.

Go on, donate a kidney: it really does you a lot of good!

Claire Tardif

The Kidney Foundation of Canada gratefully acknowledges the exceptional contribution made by Mrs. Tardif and all living kidney donors in the fight against kidney disease.

CODA 2011 Presided over by Grand Patron of Honour Pierre Duchesne, the 18th Canadian Organ Donors Association (CODA) Ceremony was held Friday, October 21, 2011, at Sherbrooke’s Saint-Michel Cathedral.

During the ceremony, 219 donors from Quebec received the posthumous title of Health Ambassador.

“This event speaks for an organization that wishes to publicly acknowledge all those who have helped pass along the most beautiful inheritance of all, health itself.

We sincerely hope that this recognition will help lessen the pain their families feel, and that their outstanding commitment to our community will continue to grow,” said CODA president Richard Tremblay.

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Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

René Lavigne donated a kidney to his sister Lucie Lavigne in August 2010

A further 12 people were honoured for making living kidney donations.

“Thanks to their admirable act, these men and women

Together we can make a difference

Organ Donation The gift of life – humanitarian award The Gift of Life - Humanitarian Award 2012 registration form is now available on our website at www.kidney.ca/humanitarian (the deadline to register is March 15).

Let the public know about your company’s generosity by nominating it.

What is The Gift of Life - Humanitarian Award?

The Gift of Life - Humanitarian Award was established by The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Québec 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.

This prize acknowledges and publicly recognizes efforts made by companies in this area so that they serve as a model and hence, create a ripple effect in the education of the business community to the problem of people waiting for a kidney transplant or wishing to donate a kidney.

Nearly 1,000 Quebecers are awaiting a kidney transplant and, although there is government compensation for costs incurred by an organ transplant recipient or donor, companies are the only ones that can facilitate the process of organ donation or transplantation of their employee.

2007

Martin & Lévesque inc.

2008

2009

2010

2011

The award will be presented within the framework of the activities held during the National Organ Donation and Tissue Awareness Week in April.

Ginette Harvey donated a kidney to her brother Pierre Paul Harvey in October 2008

Patrick Chapdelaine donated a kidney to his wife Isabelle April in June 2011

have literally given the gift of life to loved ones suffering from kidney failure. This generosity is a testament to their tremendous compassion and altruism. They are role

models and an inspiration to us all,” said Martin Munger, Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch.

Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation

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Research The 2011 KFOC Medal for Research Excellence goes to Dr. Norman Rosenblum The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s 2011 Medal for Research Excellence was awarded to Dr. Norman Rosenblum for his internationally recognized research in the area of pediatric nephrology, his outstanding role as a clinician scientist and his leadership in mentoring Canada’s next generation of kidney researchers.

A graduate of Dalhousie University, Dr. Rosenblum is currently a pediatric nephrologist and clinician scientist at the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children. He completed his postgraduate training in Pediatrics and Pediatric Nephrology at Harvard University, where he also began his research training in cell and molecular biology. He now holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Developmental Nephrology and is an international expert on experimental (mouse) models of renal development that replicate malformations in the human kidney.

A patient-centered researcher, Dr. Rosenblum is also a much sought-after mentor. For the past 10 years he has been the Principal Investigator of an interdisciplinary program that trains clinician-scientists in the field of child health in Canada. The principles of the program, which links 17 universities across the country in 7 child health disciplines, have served as a model for others.

“Dr. Rosenblum’s launching of the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program was instrumental in helping to shape the Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training Program founded by The Kidney Foundation and multiple partners in 2005,” says Dr. Kevin Burns, last year’s recipient of the Medal for Research Excellence and Program Director of the kidney-focused, researcher training program known as KRESCENT.

Dr. Rosenblum’s research work is focused on studying malformations which occur during development of the kidney and urinary tract. Poorly understood, these abnormalities result in a whole family of diseases that are the leading cause of childhood renal failure. Yet, his laboratory has provided important new insights. Specifically, they have succeeded in genetically modifying the function of a number of critical protein pathways, which in turn affect the work of key cells. By manipulating the amount of intercellular communication or “signaling” in these pathways, his research team has generated mouse models that replicate human problems. The malformations appear in a number of ways, from anomalies in the

Since first being published in the journal “Pediatrics” nearly 25 years ago, Dr. Rosenblum has had 14 book chapters and over 65 manuscripts go to press. Most recently, he is the senior author on an article in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), in which his laboratory has shown that a particular protein signaling pathway, known as Sonic Hedgehog, controls cells that are essential for the rhythmic contractions of the ureter in mice. Failure of this system results in a condition frequently seen in pediatric nephrology, known as non-obstructive hydronephrosis.

This latest finding could have significant implications for improving treatment of the condition.

Dr. Norman Rosenblum

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number of kidney filters (nephrons) and the integrity of kidney tissue to the swelling of the kidney or urinary tract (a condition known as hydronephrosis). Investigating the roles of signaling pathways in their particular context during the actual process of kidney development is vital, providing unprecedented knowledge and understanding of the function of specific genes and the genesis of specific diseases. This can potentially lead to novel treatment of the disease itself and improved health for patients.

Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

Together we can make a difference

Bulletin Board ANNUAL GENERAL MEETIN G The Quebec Bra nch of The Kidn ey Foundation of C anada will hold its annual general m eeting (AGM) on May 5, 2012, at Clarion Hôtel 3125 , boul. Hochelaga in Québec City.

Members are kind ly invited to regist er no later than April 2, 2012, by contacting Jocelyne Renaud at 514-938-4515 , ext. 230, or at 1-80 0-565-4515.

PROVINCIAL RECOGNITION A WARDS handed out at th e AGM

PRESIDENT’S AW ARD MORTY TARDER AWARD COMMUNICATIO NS AWA

FINANCIAL DEV

RD

ELOPMENT AWA RD

MICHEL PERRON AWARD JEAN-JACQUES BÉ GIN AWARD ORGAN DONAT ION AWARD CHAPTER VOLU NTEER AWARD GIFT OF LIFE HU MANITARIAN AW ARD

T he Kidney Walk SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012

than 1,000 people and raised The 2011 Kidney Walk attracted more ndation of Canada set new over $200,000. Help The Kidney Fou y 27, 2012, to promote organ records by joining us on Sunday, Ma from kidney disease. donation and help people suffering place simultaneously in This year, The Kidney Walk will take bec City, Sherbrooke and Gatineau, Jonquière, Montreal, Que draiser is to help finance Trois-Rivières. The aim of the fun about kidney disease and research and raise public awareness It’s a perfect opportunity for the importance of organ donation. nts, donors’ families, living dialysis patients, transplant recipie the general public to support donors, the medical community and organ donation. the advancement of renal health and rply due to the rapid increase Organ donation needs have risen sha of people living with kidney (about 10% per year) in the number le organs is a harsh reality disease. The shortage of transplantab . As for thousands of people in Canada beQue 0 1,20 9, of December 31, 200 an org an cers were on a waiting list for e transplant, 941 (78%) of whom wer waiting for a kidney. r online, please visit For more information, and to registe

www.kidney.ca/quebecwalk

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

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

Kidney-Link • Winter 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

Become a member of The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch

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Kidney-Link • Winter 2012

Your donation goes a long way at The Kidney Foundation