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.

Wes is the founder of Rare Patient Voice, an organization dedicated to ensuring that rare disease patients and their families have the opportunity to share their stories and insights. In this conversation, Wes shares how empowering patients to have their voices heard can lead to better healthcare outcomes, stronger advocacy, and more inclusive research.

“Every patient has a story, and every story has the potential to change how we think about healthcare and support for rare disease communities,” says Wes.

Sandra also reflects on her personal journey as a mother to Zach, whose rare disease remained undiagnosed for 18 years, highlighting the importance of raising awareness and fostering community connections.

This episode highlights the essential work of CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points:

• Improving early detection
• Ensuring timely care
• Enhancing community support
• Providing access to promising therapies
• Promoting innovative research

How You Can Help:

Visit our website to learn how you can advocate for better healthcare support, community resources, and rare disease research.

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. 

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.

Here’s how you can help: 

• Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.
• Download our letters and send them to your government officials.

Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:

• X (Formerly known as Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

I Care for Rare is a podcast for parents and families of people living with rare diseases. It’s co-hosted by Sherrilynne Starkie and Sandra Markus, the visionary behind the I Care for Rare campaign 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.

Joining them on the show is Helen Ries, the co-founder of Siblings Canada,  part of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, 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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

This podcast highlights the essential work of CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points. These points include:

• improving early detection,
• ensuring timely care,
• enhancing community support,
• providing access to promising therapies, and
• promoting innovative research.

"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.

Helen Ries

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.

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. 

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.

Here’s how you can help: 

• Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.
• Download our letters and send them to your government officials.

Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:

• X (Formerly known as Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

The I Care for Rare 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 Sandra Markus, founder of iCare4Rare, and Shaun Kehoe, a certified personal trainer with a remarkable journey of his own. 

Zach, Sandra’s adult son with special needs, regularly works out with Shaun Kehoe. 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 importance of holistic approaches to health and the power of resilience in facing life's adversities.

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.

This podcast highlights the essential work of CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points. These points include:

• improving early detection,
• ensuring timely care,
• enhancing community support,
• providing access to promising therapies, and
• promoting innovative research.

"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.

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. 

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.

Here’s how you can help: 

• Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.
• Download our letters and send them to your government officials.

Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:

• X (Formerly known as Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

I Care for Rare reveals the challenges faced by the families caring for people who have a rare health condition. In this episode of the I Care for Rare podcast host Sherrilynne Starkie and Sandra Markus, founder of I Care for Rare, welcome Carl Weatherall to the show. As father to Alyssa, a young woman who experiences hundreds of epileptic seizures each day, Carl’s spent more than 20 years advocating for  the healthcare, education and social support his daughter 

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. The campaign, aims to unite and empower those affected by rare diseases, representing their collective voice.

In this show, Carl discusses the challenges of parenting a child with  complex needs into adulthood and the resulting social isolation his family has endured. 

“You get socially isolated because you spend so much time and are ever focused on your child that you just haven't got time for other people,” explains Carl. “You don't want to socialize because you're exhausted and you haven't slept in days.”

Sandra also shares her own experiences as mother to Zach, who was also born with a rare disease that remained undiagnosed for 18 years.

This podcast highlights the essential work of CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points. These points include:

• improving early detection,
• ensuring timely care,
• enhancing community support,
• providing access to promising therapies,
• and promoting innovative research.

"I Care for Rare" calls on both the Federal and Ontario Governments to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act, aligning with the recommendations outlined in CORD's Rare Disease strategy.

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. 

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.

Here’s how you can help: 

• Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.
• Download our letters and send them to your government officials.

Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:

• X (Formerly known as Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

In this episode of the I Care for Rare podcast hosts Sandra Markus and Sherrilynne Starkie interview Jen Schultz, a parent who is in the front lines of caring for a one-of-a-kind young woman. Her daughter Olivia is the only person in the world to be diagnosed with her rare disease. She has very complex needs and she and Jenn, as her carer, face many challenges. 

This podcast, I Care for Rare, is part of a social advocacy campaign that seeks to drive reform in healthcare and community support systems for rare diseases. The campaign strives to unite and empower those affected by rare diseases and to represent their collective voice.

Jen shares her touching story about the joys and challenges of life as Olivia’s primary carer.

“Olivia has a partial mosaic trisomy of chromosome 17 in the ring format. And the ring of her diagnosis makes her one in the world. It makes her unique and at the time of diagnosistreatment was given to us in a broad spectrum,” explains Jen. “It was she may never walk, she may never talk, so we're just going to throw occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech therapy at you and see what happens. But you really don't know where you're going with it all. We want Olivia functioning in society. We want her to be happy. We want her to be accepted by people.”

Jen and Olivia’s story highlights the need for a comprehensive national strategy to support people with rare diseases, their families and carers and explores potential solutions for better social supports.

This podcast highlights the essential work of CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points. These points include:

• improving early detection,
• ensuring timely care,
• enhancing community support,
• providing access to promising therapies,
• and promoting innovative research.

"I Care for Rare" calls on both the Federal and Ontario Governments to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act, aligning with the recommendations outlined in CORD's Rare Disease strategy.

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. 

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.

Here’s how you can help: 

• Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.
• Download our letters and send them to your government officials.

Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:

• X (Formerly known as Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

In this episode of the I Care for Rare podcast hosts Sandra Markus and Sherrilynne Starkie interview Tammie Moretton, a parent who has journeyed the intricate road of caring for and raising a child with complex needs, and who sheds light on the challenges faced by such families in Canada. 

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. The campaign, aims to unite and empower those affected by rare diseases, representing their collective voice.

Tammie shares her personal experience of adopting and raising her son, Cai, who needs include autism, juvenile diabetes and asthma plus trauma and attachment issues stemming from the abuse he suffered as an infant and in care. Cai has come a long way in terms of his development and is now a teenager on the cusp of adulthood. He faces an uncertain future as he prepares to leave school in a system that provides little specialized healthcare and few social supports. 

Tammie offers us a glimpse of the resilience she needs to navigate the Ontario healthcare system as she continues to advocate for her son's growth and well-being. 

Tammie, who is disabled herself, explains, “Because of the type of disability I have and the illness I had when I was young, I learned to live in the moment. And that's a coping strategy I have brought to parenting with Kai. If I didn't live in the moment, I would be under the covers and not get out of bed on a daily basis. So, I have to be in the moment with him and hope that tomorrow brings something better.”

This conversation highlights the need for a comprehensive national strategy to support people with rare diseases, their families and carers and explores potential solutions for better social supports.

This podcast highlights the essential work of CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points. These points include:

• improving early detection,
• ensuring timely care,
• enhancing community support,
• providing access to promising therapies,
• and promoting innovative research.

"I Care for Rare" calls on both the Federal and Ontario Governments to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act, aligning with the recommendations outlined in CORD's Rare Disease strategy.

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. 

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.

Here’s how you can help: 

• Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.
• Download our letters and send them to your government officials.

Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:

• X (Formerly known as Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

About Tammie Morton: 

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. 

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.

Here’s how you can help: 

• Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.
• Download our letters and send them to your government officials.

Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:

• X (Formerly known as Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Step into the world of rare diseases and learn about the challenges faced by families across Canada. In this inaugural episode of the I Care for Rare podcast host Sherrilynne Starkie welcomes Sandra Markus, the visionary behind the I Care for Rare campaign, to share her personal journey and the mission to create a collective voice for individuals, families, and caregivers living with rare diseases.

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. The campaign, aims to unite and empower those affected by rare diseases, representing their collective voice.

In this show, Sandra shares her own experiences as a parent, highlighting the struggles her family faced when her son, Zach, was born with a rare disease. For 18 years, Zach's condition remained "undiagnosed". Sandra's narrative underscores the challenges of accessing appropriate support, including the limited availability of in-home care and respite.

Discover what led Sandra to take action. Her experiences and a recent family crisis convinced her of the need for change. She emphasizes the importance of collective action and governmental accountability in addressing the complex challenges faced by individuals, families, and caregivers dealing with rare diseases.

This podcast highlights the essential work of CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders) and their "Canada's Rare Disease Strategy," a comprehensive plan with five key action points. These points include:

• improving early detection,
• ensuring timely care,
• enhancing community support,
• providing access to promising therapies,
• and promoting innovative research.

"I Care for Rare" calls on both the Federal and Ontario Governments to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act, aligning with the recommendations outlined in CORD's Rare Disease strategy.

About Sandra Markus: 

Sandra Markus is a brand, marketing and communications expert with over three decades of industry experience. She has worked with local, national and international brands of all types, ranging from public-sector and not-for-profits to private-sector consumer and technology. Sandra is a certified strategic business communicator by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and is the Past President of the Ottawa Chapter. Sandra also holds a certificate in Change Leadership. She lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children. Her oldest son, Zach, was diagnosed at 18 years old with CHD2 myoclonic encephalopathy in 2018. Sandra is sharing her story with the hope that together, the patients, families and caregivers of those living with rare diseases and disorders, specifically in Ontario, can come together and show support for much-needed healthcare and community care reform for those living with diagnosed or undiagnosed Rare Diseases | Disorders can live in Ontario and Canada with a basic level of quality of life. 

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. 

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.

Here’s how you can help: 

• Sign MPP Bhutila Karpoche’s petition for an Ontario Rare Disease Strategy.
• Download our letters and send them to your government officials.

Follow us on social media and share our content with your friends and connections:

• X (Formerly known as Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram