In February, of last year Heather Hemming joined Nova Scotia Health’s Legacy of Life program as the first family support liaison. In this role she supports families of organ donors.
Jaimie Harbin Keeping was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just one day old. By 23, she was a rock climber, runner, research scientist and world-traveler.
As a general, colorectal surgeon and intensive care unit (ICU) physician at the Valley Regional Hospital (VRH) in Kentville, Dr. Paul Yaffe works with patients and families everyday whose lives have been impacted by serious and sometimes sudden illness.
Tammy Ripley spent 90 days on the transplant wait list. She remembers every detail from the day she found out she would be receiving a heart transplant, right up until the moment she came out of surgery.
Her Last Project, a film that chronicles a remarkable woman’s end-of-life journey, premieres on Friday, Sept. 13 as part of the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival’s documentary program. This extraordinary documentary follows Dr. Shelly Sarwal’s story of taking control of her destiny and leaving a lasting legacy. Diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy, an incurable disease, Dr. Shelly Sarwal chose to end her life through medical assistance in dying (MAiD) and to become an organ and tissue donor.
A lot can change in 17 years.
In 2002, Chris Fraser was a bank teller with no medical background or training. Now, he’s a registered nurse (RN) and health services manager on the intermediate Medical/Surgical Intermediate Care Unit (MSIMCU) of the Halifax Infirmary (HI).
For Rhonda Porter, comforting a grieving family after learning their loved one will pass away is an important part of being a critical care organ donation coordinator. After families go through what is often one of the worst experiences of their lives, Porter and her fellow organ donation coordinators have the tough task of educating them about the organ donation process.
