by Sandra Markus
A podcast for parents and families of people living with rare diseases in Ontario. I Care for Rare is a social advocacy campaign, designed to give individuals, families and caregivers living with rare diseases a collective voice for system healthcare AND community support reform.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
10/31/2023
Email Addresses
1 available
Phone Numbers
0 available
February 28, 2025
In this special episode of I Care for Rare, host Sherrilynne Starkie and Sandra Markus, founder of I Care for Rare, welcome Wes Michael to the show in honour of International Rare Disease Day.
May 24, 2024
<p>I Care for Rare is a podcast for parents and families of people living with rare diseases. It’s co-hosted by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrilynne/">Sherrilynne Starkie</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandramarkus/">Sandra Markus</a>, the visionary behind the <a href="https://icareforrare.com/">I Care for Rare campaign </a>and its mission to create a collective voice for individuals, families, and caregivers living with rare diseases, inspired by her experience caring for her adult son, Zach.</p><p>Joining them on the show is Helen Ries, the co-founder of <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/siblingscanada/">Siblings Canada</a>, part of the <a href="https://canadiancaregiving.org/">Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence</a>, who shares her personal and professional insights on the critical role siblings play in caring for people with disabilities or rare diseases. Helen became the carer of her brother Paul when they lost their parents suddenly and in close succession.It’s been a 10-year journey in getting the support they need so that Paul can live his best life and, in turn, Helen and her husband can too. </p><p>Helen discusses the emotional and logistical challenges she faced in becoming Paul’s carer. She explains how caregiving has affected her relationship with her husband and her professional career and recounts her frustrating experiences with the developmental services system, where she encountered insensitive and outdated views about caregiving roles. </p><p>This experience fueled her determination to advocate for sibling caregivers and resulted in the foundation of Siblings Canada, an initiative aimed at supporting and connecting siblings who care for family members with disabilities. </p><p>The I Care for Rare social advocacy campaign seeks to drive reform in healthcare and community support systems for rare diseases. With over 3,000,000 Canadians affected by rare diseases, the absence of a comprehensive support strategy in Canada leaves many struggling to cope with daily life. The campaign, aims to unite and empower those affected by rare diseases, representing their collective voice.</p><p>This podcast highlights the essential work of<a href="https://www.raredisorders.ca/"> CORD</a> (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points. These points include:</p><ul><li>improving early detection,</li><li>ensuring timely care,</li><li>enhancing community support,</li><li>providing access to promising therapies, and</li><li>promoting innovative research.</li></ul><p>"I Care for Rare" calls on both the Canadian Federal and Ontario Governments to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act, aligning with the recommendations outlined in CORD's Rare Disease strategy.</p><p><strong>Helen Ries</strong></p><p>Helen Ries is the co-founder of Siblings Canada, an initiative of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. Siblings Canada raises awareness of the critical role siblings play in creating robust and responsive systems of care for people with disabilities. Helen is a community builder, innovator, and most importantly, a carer to her brother Paul. With a lifetime of advocacy, she has learned the power of full and inclusive citizenship for all community members. Helen holds an MBA from the University of Guelph.</p><p> </p><p> </p> <p><h1>We Need Your Help</h1><p>Please help us make healthcare better for people with rare disorders in Ontario! We want to support individuals, families, and caregivers who are dealing with these uncommon health issues. </p><p>Healthcare in Ontario is falling behind. That’s why we're supporting Bill 129 to change the Health Protection and Promotion Act. This law will help put into action the good ideas from the Rare Disease Working Group Report, which was made on March 10, 2017.</p><p>Here’s how you can help: </p><ul><li><a href="https://icareforrare.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rare-Disease-Strategy-Act-2023-2.pdf">Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.</a></li><li><a href="https://icareforrare.com/be-heard/">Download our letters and send them to your government officials.</a></li></ul><p>Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:</p><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/care_i78410">X (Formerly known as Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067873785747">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/icareforrare/">Instagram</a></li></ul></p>
May 2, 2024
<p>The <a href="https://icareforrare.com/">I Care for Rare</a> podcast reveals the challenges faced by the families caring for people who have a rare health condition, In this episode we delve into the challenging world of rare diseases with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandramarkus/">Sandra Markus,</a> founder of iCare4Rare, and <a href="https://shaunkehoe.com/">Shaun Kehoe</a>, a certified personal trainer with a remarkable journey of his own. </p><p>Zach, Sandra’s adult son with special needs, regularly works out with <a href="https://shaunkehoe.com/about/">Shaun Kehoe</a>. Unfortunately, many of those who need his services the most can’t get access to the necessary funding. In this show Shaun opens up about his own rare condition, cavernous angioma, and the series of brain surgeries he’s endured to treat his epilepsy. Despite these considerable obstacles, Shaun found solace and strength in fitness, turning his health struggles into a career dedicated to helping others overcome their challenges. He shares his experience of the <a href="https://shaunkehoe.com/train/">importance of holistic approaches</a> to health and the power of resilience in facing life's adversities.</p><p>I Care for Rare is more than just a podcast; it's a social advocacy campaign that seeks to drive reform in healthcare and community support systems for rare diseases. With over 3,000,000 Canadians affected by rare diseases, the absence of a comprehensive support strategy in Canada leaves many families grappling with uncertainty and fear. The campaign, aims to unite and empower those affected by rare diseases, representing their collective voice.</p><p>This podcast highlights the essential work of<a href="https://www.raredisorders.ca/"> CORD</a> (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points. These points include:</p><ul><li>improving early detection,</li><li>ensuring timely care,</li><li>enhancing community support,</li><li>providing access to promising therapies, and</li><li>promoting innovative research.</li></ul><p>"I Care for Rare" calls on both the Canadian Federal and Ontario Governments to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act, aligning with the recommendations outlined in CORD's Rare Disease strategy.</p> <p><h1>We Need Your Help</h1><p>Please help us make healthcare better for people with rare disorders in Ontario! We want to support individuals, families, and caregivers who are dealing with these uncommon health issues. </p><p>Healthcare in Ontario is falling behind. That’s why we're supporting Bill 129 to change the Health Protection and Promotion Act. This law will help put into action the good ideas from the Rare Disease Working Group Report, which was made on March 10, 2017.</p><p>Here’s how you can help: </p><ul><li><a href="https://icareforrare.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Rare-Disease-Strategy-Act-2023-2.pdf">Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.</a></li><li><a href="https://icareforrare.com/be-heard/">Download our letters and send them to your government officials.</a></li></ul><p>Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:</p><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/care_i78410">X (Formerly known as Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067873785747">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/icareforrare/">Instagram</a></li></ul></p>
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at [email protected] for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.