WINTER 2020
The Kidney Foundation - Quebec Branch
TAX INFO
Tax credits you may be entitled to pages 6 and 7
ORGAN DONATION
Inspiring personal accounts page 8
A NEW VISUAL IDENTITY FOR THE FOUNDATION
page 2
ORGAN DONATION
Paired kidney donation program page 9
The personal information you have provided is used only to send you this newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive it, please e-mail us at infoquebec@kidney.ca or call us at 514-938-4515. Dear readers: Help enrich our newsletter by sharing your experiences with kidney disease or transplants! Please send a text of up to 300 words, along with a high-resolution photo, to infoquebec@kidney.ca. CONTACT US: The Kidney Foundation – 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 newsletter is published three times a year by the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation. 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 news about kidney disease and organ donation. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation, its directors, employees or members. Moving? Write us at: infoquebec@kidney.ca. Articles may be reproduced provided that proper credit is given.
A WORD FROM THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT AND THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
THE KIDNEY FOUNDATION GETS A NEW VISUAL IDENTITY As you can already see in this edition of the Kidney Community Newsletter, The Kidney Foundation is sporting a new brand image. To better serve you, we’ve kicked off 2020 with a redesigned and updated website, not to mention a new logo. This development is the outcome of a nationwide consultation with volunteers, partners, patients, caregivers, health professionals, employees and people with no prior link to the Foundation. One common theme that came up consistently through these many consultations was that the Foundation needed to become more visible. A great deal of reflection and discussions took place to establish a more public presence and put the cause—kidney health—in the spotlight. This undertaking called for many conversations and analyses, and one option emerged as the one best suited to meet this objective. Featuring warm and vibrant colours, our new logo is graphically stylized. Representing two superimposed kidneys, it is eye-catching and stands out from the shapes and colours used by other agencies and organizations involved in kidney health promotion and research.
Greg Robbins National President
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Elizabeth Myles National Executive Director
This new image is much more dynamic and gives our website, kidney.ca, a breath of fresh air. The new graphical approach will also better differentiate us across our various channels— the web, social media, and so on. This is the start of a new era in kidney disease awareness. People need to recognize the vital importance of healthy kidneys and understand the profound impact kidney failure would have on their lives. Our vision: excellent kidney health, optimum quality of life and a cure for kidney disease. It motivates us to show collaborative and inventive leadership and to focus on developing programs, services, research opportunities and awareness campaigns with a positive impact on the millions of Canadians with kidney disease, as well as those at risk. We are starting 2020 with this exciting change, part of our goal to boost the profile of both the Foundation and the cause we are all deeply committed to. Our image has changed. Our commitment to kidney care is as strong as ever.
KIDNEY CAR PROGRAM
WINTER: A GREAT TIME TO THINK ABOUT KIDNEY CAR
Thinking of disposing of your vehicle?
Donate it to Kidney Car and you’ll get free towing and a tax receipt for $300 or more. And if your car qualifies for resale, the tax receipt issued will match the car’s assessed value at the time you donated it. For example, if your vehicle is valued at $1,000, you will receive a tax receipt for $1,000. For more on the Kidney Car program or to schedule an appointment, go to www.kidneycar.ca or call us at 1-888-228-8673.
What’s the difference between a tax receipt and a tax credit? When you donate, The Kidney Foundation will provide you with a tax receipt, which you can use when preparing your next tax return. The receipt will enable you to claim a tax credit for your charitable donation. The value of the tax credit depends on your specific tax profile, which varies from person to person.
GIFT OF LIFE HUMANITARIAN AWARD
REWARD YOUR EMPLOYER FOR FACILITATING ORGAN DONATION The Gift of Life Humanitarian Award aims to recognize the humanitarian efforts of companies that have in some way facilitated a kidney transplant or donation for one of their employees. This award arose from the stark reality that over 800 Quebecers are currently on the province’s organ donation waiting list. Of this figure, 70% are hoping for a kidney. Though 247 kidney transplants were performed in 2018, nothing can be taken for granted when it comes to organ donation. Consequently, the Foundation continues striving to raise public awareness and wishes to remind everyone of just how vital organ donations are for people on the waiting list hoping for a new kidney.
THE GIFT OF LIFE HUMANITARIAN AWARD PRESENTED TO RÉMY AUCLAIR ÉVALUATEUR AGRÉÉ
Nominating your company is as easy as 1-2-3. Contact us at infoquebec@kidney.ca or at 1-800-565-4515 ext. 235, and we will send you a nomination form. Once all the criteria have been met, we’ll contact you to start the awarding process. It’s that easy! What better way to recognize the support you or someone you know received during the donation or transplant process! In 2019, the Foundation presented a Gift of Life Humanitarian Award to Val d’Or company Rémy Auclair Évaluateur Agréé for facilitating the kidney transplant process for one of its employees. The Kidney Community Newsletter WINTER 2020
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OUR EVENTS IN REVIEW
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
OVER $72,500 RAISED AT THE NEW LEASE ON LIFE CONCERT
JOIN US FOR THE NEXT SCOTIABANK CHARITY CHALLENGE
April 25 and 26 2020
If you enjoy running and challenging yourself, then have we got just the thing for you! Join the Foundation for the next Scotiabank Charity Challenge, a chance to take part in a major sporting event while raising money for a good cause. THE 2019 NEW LEASE ON LIFE CONCERT AT THE MAISON SYMPHONIQUE
On November 21, 2019, some 200 people came out to the Maison symphonique for the 5th edition of the New Lease on Life Concert for The Kidney Foundation.
In 2019, 80 participating charities raised a total of $1.56 million, including $16,000 for The Kidney Foundation. This year’s Scotiabank Charity Challenge will take place on April 25 and 26 at Jean-Drapeau Park in Montreal. The event will include several races—choose between the kids’ race and the 5K, 10K and 21K runs.
This year’s event, entitled “Vibrations Tchèques,” shone the spotlight on conductor Hannu Lintu and world-renowned cellist Alban Gerhardt, best known for his intensely expressive playing, who together performed a sensational program featuring Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, Lutoslawski, Symphony No. 4 and Leoš Janácek, Sinfonietta.
For more information and to register, contact Martine Baller at 1-800-565-4515, ext. 229, or martine.baller@rein.ca
The event raised money for the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation and will be used to fund medical research, deliver patient services, advocate for access to quality healthcare for all Quebecers suffering from kidney disease, and promote organ donation.
From April to September in several cities across Quebec.
The Foundation would like to thank everyone who came out, as well as all the volunteers who helped organize the event and all the sponsors who backed it. OUR HEARTFELT THANKS GO OUT TO THE EVENT’S SPONSORS:
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COME ALONG FOR THE 2020 KIDNEY WALK
Over the years, the Kidney Walk has become a unifying, must-attend event for kidney patients, transplant recipients, their family members and health professionals. Thanks to all the participants, THE 2019 JOLIETTE KIDNEY WALK teams of walkers and volunteers who get involved and walk for the Foundation, the Kidney Walk is so much more than a major fundraiser: it’s also a huge annual social event where Kidney Foundation supporters come together and celebrate. Become a part of this huge family by walking the Walk and joining forces with others to help people with kidney disease, while helping the Foundation fulfil its mission of funding patient services and research, and promoting organ donation. For more information, visit www.kidneywalk.ca or contact Dany Babin at 1-800-565-4515, ext. 232, or dany.babin@rein.ca
PLANNED GIVING – DONATING A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY
A HIGHLY ACTIVE VOLUNTEER DONATES A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY TO THE FOUNDATION
Nicole Dallaire, who had a kidney transplant over 30 years ago, passed away on February 28, 2019, but her commitment to the Foundation lives on because as it turns out, she had made The Kidney Foundation the beneficiary of a $12,000 life insurance policy. Ms. Dallaire was a very committed volunteer with the Saguenay/Lac-St-Jean Chapter, where she played an active role in the Door-to-Door Campaign in addition to participating
in the Saguenay Kidney Walk. She was also a member of the Chapter’s Board of Directors and represented the Foundation at funeral homes when people with kidney disease died. Over the years, Ms. Dallaire received numerous recognitions and awards from The Kidney Foundation for her great involvement, including the President’s Award in 1990. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Nicole Dallaire for her support and remarkable dedication to our Foundation during her lifetime and beyond. For more information on donating an insurance policy to The Kidney Foundation, please contact our partner, Rémi Gilbert, at 450-641-1515, ext. 7233 or remi.gilbert@groupeinvestors.com
PLANNED GIVING | LEGACY GIVING SOCIETY Like us, you would like to do something to improve the health and quality of life of people living with kidney disease. Thanks to planned giving, you can contribute to fulfilling this mission in a very tangible way, today and in the future.
Planned giving can take a number of forms, including: • Bequests and testamentary donations • Donation of a life insurance policy • Donation of securities
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A TESTAMENTARY DONATION?
A bequest to The Kidney Foundation is a gift that will have a lasting impact and bear witness to the values you cherish.
To find out how to make your own bequest, please contact Martin Munger at martin.munger@kidney.ca or 1-800-565-4515 / 514-938-4515, ext. 231
A GREAT VOLUNTEER HAS LEFT US Laureen Bureau, a very dedicated volunteer with The Kidney Foundation, Outaouais Chapter, recently passed away. Having received a kidney transplant 34 years ago, Laureen was very active in promoting organ donation. She regularly gave talks in schools and elsewhere to spread the word about this cause and helped lead the relaunch of the Outaouais Chapter in 2012, where she sat on the Chapter Board. She was also a regular member and alternate of the Board of Directors of the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation from 2012 to 2016. We wish to highlight not only her commitment to the Foundation, but also her great kindness, gentleness and eternal gratitude for the kidney she received from her sister in 1985,
LAUREEN (LEFT) WITH HER SISTER JACQUI, WHO DONATED A KIDNEY TO HER IN 1985
which gave her back her quality of life. “This gift changed my life forever, and it helped my sister and I forge an unbreakable bond. I will be forever grateful to her,” said Laureen. Our thoughts are with Laureen and her family. The Kidney Community Newsletter WINTER 2020
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TAX INFO
YES, IT’S TAX TIME, BUT YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR SOME CREDITS!
Every year in the run-up to tax season, The Kidney Foundation prepares a list of tax tips for dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients. The fiscal aid measures most frequently used by nephrology patients are the medical expense tax credit and the disability tax credit. These are non-refundable tax credits that reduce the amount of tax you pay. They cannot reduce income tax payable to a negative amount, nor can they give rise to a refund. While they don’t reimburse you for your medical expenses, they enable you to pay less in taxes. Medical expense tax credit The medical expense tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit that can be applied to a wide range of medical and related expenses, such as health care, transportation costs, medications, dental expenses, health insurance and alterations made to the home in order to install a dialysis machine. Medical costs incurred outside the patient’s home province can also be included. You can claim medical costs for yourself, your spouse or common-law partner, and with certain restrictions, other dependents. With some exceptions (transportation), you must produce receipts for all expenses. Refundable medical expense credit A refundable credit of $1,222 may be deducted by low-income wage earners with high medical costs.
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Transportation and meals Travel expenses incurred can be included in the eligible medical costs for people required to travel at least 40 kilometres in each direction to receive medical services. Those required to travel at least 80 kilometres in each direction to receive medical services are also entitled to claim credit for meals and accommodation expenses. If you require the assistance of an accompanying individual while travelling for medical purposes, you may also claim this individual’s travel expenses, provided that a medical practitioner has attested to the need for this assistance. The cost of transportation by ambulance to the hospital and back is also considered an eligible medical expense. To claim transportation and travel expenses, you must produce receipts for all expenses incurred except those relating to meals and the use of a vehicle. For travel costs incurred, Quebec reimburses 50.5 cents/kilometre. We suggest that you keep a detailed log of distance travelled and keep your receipts for all expenses you incur. You should also obtain a letter from your doctor or dialysis unit in case you are asked to submit proof of the number of trips you have made.
TAX INFO Artificial kidney (machine) and home dialysis Individuals who have a hemodialysis machine (artificial kidney) installed in their home may claim the following expenses: • repairs, maintenance and supplies for the machine; • water and electricity to operate the machine; • the cost of housing the machine (that is, municipal taxes, insurance, heating, lighting and maintenance, and the portion of rent attributable to the room where the machine is used) If you use a room in your home to store dialysis supplies or equipment or to perform dialysis in a clean and quiet space, you may be eligible to deduct part of your home’s operating expenses. For example, if you live in a six-room home and use one of them as a dialysis room, you may be able to deduct onesixth of your rent, heating and electricity expenses. Moreover, you may be entitled to other deductions, such as: • additions, renovations or alterations to a house; • an extra phone in the dialysis room; • all long-distance calls made to the hospital for advice or to request repairs, as well as the necessary and unavoidable costs of transporting supplies. The hospital representative who authorized the installation of the unit must certify that the additions, renovations and alterations were needed for its installation.
Once you undergo a kidney transplant, you are no longer eligible for the credit, unless you are eligible for another type of disability, e.g. blindness. However, you may claim a credit for the portion of the taxation year during which you were still receiving dialysis treatment. Note: The information provided below is general in nature and does not necessarily apply to all circumstances. Medications and medical instruments Health Canada offers access to yet-to-be marketed medications and medical instruments not yet approved for sale in Canada through its Special Access Program (SAP) for physicians treating patients with life-threatening conditions for which conventional therapies have not been successful, are not available or are unsuitable. Canada caregiver credit If you have a dependant (child, spouse or common-law partner) with an impairment in physical or mental functions, you may be entitled to claim an additional amount of up to $2,182; you must provide a note signed by a medical practitioner certifying the date the impairment began and its expected duration.
Organ transplantation Individuals may claim reasonable costs incurred to locate a compatible donor, to plan the transplant operation, including legal fees, insurance premiums and reasonable travel expenses such as accommodation for the patient, donor and accompanying individuals. If the donor assumes his or her own expenses and has not been reimbursed, these items may be claimed on the donor’s own income tax return.
Registered disability savings plan (RDSP) The RDSP is a federal government program to encourage people with disabilities to save in order to bolster their financial security. Contributing to an RDSP is a bit like contributing to a private pension plan, though in the case of the RDSP, the government matches personal contributions up to a certain amount. Canadian residents under 60 years of age who are eligible for the disability tax credit can contribute to an RDSP provided they meet certain criteria. Parents of a child with a disability can open an RDSP account for that child. For more information, visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca/rdsp.
Disability tax credit The disability tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit that lowers the income tax payable by people with a disability or those who support them.
GET INFORMED! This information is available on the CRA website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca, at your local tax office, or by calling 1-800-959-8281.
If you are eligible, the credit could reduce the amount of taxes you pay. If you have no taxes to pay, you may transfer the credit to a spouse or other person who supports you. You will find below a copy of the Disability Tax Credit Certificate. We recommend that all dialysis patients submit a Disability Tax Credit form along with their income tax return. The eligible amount for people with a disability is $8,235; a certificate from a qualified medical practitioner is required. Individuals under 18 years of age may able be eligible for a supplement.
For more details about other tax credits applicable to your situation, visit our website at www.kidney.ca. It is recommended that you consult a tax professional for complete information about your situation.
The Kidney Community Newsletter WINTER 2020
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ORGAN DONATION – PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
CHANTAL MÉNARD DONATED A KIDNEY TO HER EX-HUSBAND, JEAN On October 8, 2019, I donated a kidney to Jean, my exhusband and the father of my two sons. Several years ago, when I found out that Jean had a degenerative disease and would eventually need a kidney transplant, I immediately said to him, “I’ll give you one of mine!” Over the years, I regularly checked up on him to see how his illness was progressing. In August 2018, I asked him if he wanted my kidney and offered to undergo the necessary tests. One month later, I started the compatibility tests, which were followed by medical tests to determine if I was healthy. It took a full year, but the big day finally came and the operation took place. Now, four months after the operation, everything’s perfect! I’m doing great and I’ve started working again, while Jean, the
CHANTAL MÉNARD IS SURROUNDED ON THE LEFT BY HER TWO SONS AND ON THE RIGHT BY HER EX-HUSBAND JEAN AND HIS WIFE.
recipient, is doing very well too. His new kidney is working like a charm! I’m convinced that we don’t meet people by chance— destiny always has a plan for us. Jean gave me the greatest gift—my two sons—and he deserves a good quality of life. I am very proud of my life-giving act! Chantal Ménard
FRANÇOIS CRÊTE DONATED A KIDNEY TO HIS NEPHEW GUILLAUME Because of health problems, one of my nephew’s kidneys was no longer functioning and the other was operating at only 8%. He had to start dialysis treatments in July 2018 and was waiting for a kidney transplant to improve his quality of life. After finding out that we had the same blood type, I offered to do whatever it takes to donate one of my two kidneys. But given my age—I was 70 at the time—I wondered if I wasn’t too old to make such a gift. Since I’m healthy, not on any medication and in good shape physically, I figured I could go ahead with it, especially knowing that you can live perfectly well with just one kidney. The initial tests confirmed that we were compatible, so I decided to undergo all the medical tests needed to be approved to donate by the medical team in charge of my case. The tests showed that I wasn’t suffering from any serious illness and that I was in good health overall. What a joy it is to know that you’re healthy! My kidney was harvested on August 6, 2019, when my nephew’s condition was ideal for receiving it. The day after the operation, I was discharged from the hospital. For me, everything went very smoothly. The days that followed were tough because of | 8 | The Kidney Community Newsletter WINTER 2020
postoperative pain, but day by day, thanks to exercises I had to do, the pain gradually subsided. After a month, the pain was practically gone, and my energy returned quickly. FRANÇOIS CRÊTE After two months, I resumed my normal activities and usual workouts without any problems. The experience did me a lot of good. In addition to receiving a great deal of recognition from family and friends, I found out that my health is excellent, my family relationships improved, and I started taking even better care of my health, having shed almost 20 extra pounds in the space of a year. I believe that all this will allow me to live much longer, because it has given me the desire to take even better care of myself because I live with only one kidney. Donating is as rewarding for the donor as it is for the recipient. My nephew is getting better every day and hopes to enjoy a normal life soon. François Crête
ORGAN DONATION – PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
JOHANNE DOUCET MAKES A NON-DIRECTED KIDNEY DONATION, MAKING A DOMINO EXCHANGE POSSIBLE Touched and moved by the story of Michelle Brassard from Saguenay who received a kidney from her husband, Johanne Doucet decided to make a non-directed donation of one of her kidneys last August. At the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ), she became the second person so far to have donated a kidney to a stranger.
help, but also of still being able to.” She was in good health, so she didn’t bat an eye before making the biggest decision she has ever made, out of sheer altruism, because she had no designated recipient.
“I’d always planned to donate organs in the event that a family member or friend needed one, or once I passed away,” says Johanne Doucet.
JOHANNE DOUCET “Today, I’m 70 and my health hasn’t been affected in the slightest by my kidney donation. I’m still doing everything I’ve always done,” says Johanne.
Ms. Doucet’s non-directed donation is an example of a domino exchange. Thanks to Ms. Doucet’s immense generosity, several transplants can take place across Canada, and at the end of the chain will be a kidney that can be assigned to someone on the waiting list in Quebec. Recently, at the age of 68, she realized the importance of acting quickly, because, in her words, “As we age, there aren’t as many possibilities, so it becomes not only a question of wanting to
Making this anonymous donation filled her with an indescribable sense of accomplishment. Above all, she knew that she mattered to someone who is suffering, at a time in her life when it’s important to still feel needed. “I truly hope the person who benefited from my gift has a good life and good health.” - Johanne Doucet
PAIRED KIDNEY DONATION (PKD) PROGRAM
DONATING A KIDNEY EVEN IF YOU AND THE DONOR ARE INCOMPATIBLE Ever since the paired kidney donation program was launched, a donor who, due to incompatibility, is unable donate a kidney to a loved one suffering from end-stage renal failure can engage in an exchange with another donor-recipient pair whose recipient is compatible. Since late 2010, when Quebec signed on to the program, Quebecers awaiting a kidney have had access to a wider pool of potential living donors. The PKD program relies on the generosity and altruism of the donors. The most common donor is actually an incompatible donor, that is, someone who would have liked to donate directly to a friend or loved one needing a kidney transplant (a “transplant candidate”) but cannot because tests have shown that there is a high probability that the donor’s kidney would be rejected by the candidate if transplanted. In this situation, they have the option of registering with the paired kidney donor exchange program to find a donor who is potentially compatible with the candidate.
There are three possible forms of exchange: 1) Cross-donation is the simplest and involves matching two otherwise incompatible pairs. 2) A closed exchange has the same characteristics as cross-donation, except that more pairs are involved and the donor of the last pair in the chain donates to the candidate in the first pair. 3) A domino exchange is a pairing sequence initiated by a donor with no intended recipient, who donates a kidney to the candidate of a registered pair. A domino exchange can involve several pairs. The chain continues until the donor of the last registered pair gives a kidney to a patient on the waiting list. Source: Canadian Blood Services
The Kidney Community Newsletter WINTER 2020
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RESEARCH
CELL AND GENE THERAPY IN KIDNEY CANCER Dr. Nicoletta Eliopoulos, McGill University, Québec. Biomedical Research Grant of $100,000 (2018 – 2020) delivered by The Kidney Foundation in Cancer category.
Kidney cancer is among the 15 most common cancers in men and women worldwide, with an incidence of about 338,000 new cases and 144,000 deaths yearly, the highest rates being in North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand. In Canada, kidney cancer is the 10th most frequently arising cancer, with more than one quarter of cases being diagnosed at stage 4 when it is fatal for most patients. 80-90% of kidney cancers are renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Dr. Nicoletta Eliopoulos is an Investigator at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI), Jewish General Hospital (JGH), and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Research, at McGill University in Montreal. She is also the Laboratory Director of the JGH Cell Processing Center, a clinical-grade cell handling facility which is committed to fostering early-phase trials testing cell-based technologies.
PTEN, (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten), is a tumor suppressor that is absent or reduced in many advanced cancers which include kidney cancer. PTEN levels are frequently decreased in advanced RCC, and this is associated with tumor progression and poor outcome. A variant of PTEN, named PTEN-Long, is capable of being released from cells and penetrating into other cells. Like PTEN, PTEN-Long also has anti-tumor actions. Injection of the PTEN-Long protein in mice with RCC, led to tumor regression, suggesting the potential of recombinant PTEN-Long protein as a treatment strategy. However, recombinant protein use in patients has several disadvantages. An alternative is to use mesenchymal stem cells, (MSCs), a type of adult stem cell, as a cellular vehicle for delivering PTEN-Long.
Dr. Eliopoulos has a B.Sc. degree in Physiology from McGill University, M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Pharmacology from the Université de Montréal and received her postdoctoral training at the LDI in the laboratory of Dr. Jacques Galipeau.
The main goal of our research is to determine if MSCs genetically modified to produce PTEN-Long can be used to combat kidney cancer. Our specific aims are to: 1. Determine if human MSCs from fat can be genetically modified to produce PTEN-Long and reveal its effects on human RCC cells in culture; 2. Evaluate in mice with RCC if administration of MSCs producing PTEN-Long leads to anti-tumor effects; 3. Reveal the location and duration of these MSCs following their administration in mice. Our proposed research is very promising. The use of the easily isolated fat-derived MSCs to deliver PTEN-Long is intended to permit clinically relevant production of PTEN-Long and its various antitumor effects to effectively combat RCC (locally and at metastatic sites), aiming for a curative response and therefore relevant to the mission of the KFOC. Our study is novel, as it will be the first to evaluate the delivery of PTENLong by any cellular vehicle in any cancer model. | 10 | The Kidney Community Newsletter WINTER 2020
Dr. Eliopoulos is a scientist with expertise in stem/progenitor cells for cell and gene therapy of various diseases, such as kidney injury and cancer. Her research laboratory currently performs studies on the pre-treatment, gene-enhancement and therapeutic use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). She is very grateful to the Kidney Foundation for supporting her research exploring the use of gene-enhanced MSCs for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.
Vaccination,
the best protection
Vaccine against pneumococcal The risk of death from a pneumococcal infection is greater for people with certain diseases, such as renal failure.
To receive the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine free of charge, ask your CLSC or your doctor during your next visit. You can receive the pneumococcal and flu vaccines at the same time. One shot in your lifetime is usually sufficient.
sante.gouv.qc.ca/vaccination/ 15-213-03A_pneumo_rein_3X5_ang.indd 1
2015-07-23 15:13
E-NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION GO DIGITAL! The digital newsletter is a great way to receive all the latest news from the Foundation while getting all the juicy details about our events. Thanks for being a loyal reader! If you subscribe to the paper version of the Kidney Community Newsletter, switching to the digital version will help the Foundation save money by reducing production costs. Subscribe at kidney.ca/ quebec.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Please note that the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation will hold its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, May 2, 2020, starting at 9 a.m., at the Delta Hotel located at 2685 King Street West in Sherbrooke. Members are asked to register or submit a completed proxy form by April 6, 2020, by contacting Jocelyne Renaud at 514-938-4515 or 1-800-565-4515, extension 230, or jocelyne.renaud@rein.ca.
La Division du Québec de La Fondation canadienne du rein THE KIDNEY FOUNDATION, QUEBEC BRANCH
2020
2300René-Lévesque René-Lévesque Ouest Blvd West 2300, boul. Montreal, Quebec H3H 2R5 Montréal (Québec) H3H 2R5 Phone: (514) 938-4515 • 1 800 565-4515 Tél. : (514) • 1 800 565-4515 Fax: 938-4515 (514) 938-4757 • infoquebec@kidney.ca Téléc. : www.kidney.ca (514) 938-4757 • infoquebec@rein.ca
HOW TO HELP
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