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When Roseli Melo came to Canada in 2008 from Brazil, her goal was to give her then-teenaged daughter an international education. A single mom from the age of 25, Roseli was no stranger to overcoming challenges when it came to providing for her daughter.

“I was proving to myself and to her every single day: we can do it,” Roseli says.

Now, Roseli works in the Centre for the Advancement of Simulation and Education (CASE) and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. She likens her work in CASE to her journey to making Canada home.

You are listening to UHN Home, where we're telling stories to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. Every week, we'll tell you the stories of people who came from all around the world and stories of people whose families have called Canada home for thousands of years. They all work at the nation's largest research hospital: the University Health Network.

Produced by: Ana Gajic and Andrew Berthiaume

Cover art by: Jose Ongpin

Editing, production and storyboarding support for the series: Jarrett Churchill, Brianne Tulk, Danielle Pereira, Jessie Park, Jolson Lim, and Erica Ngao

Theme Music:

Royalty-free from: Whitesand

When he first landed in Toronto, ON after a flight from his home city of Belgrade, Serbia, Milos Popovic’s main concern was where he was going to sleep that night.

“My situation was a little bit nuts,” recalls Milos, now a senior scientist and the associate director at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. “I received the call from my supervisor telling me that my student visa is in the embassy and I should go and take it and come to Toronto in the next 24 hours or 48 hours.

“So I went, got my visa, bought a suitcase, filled my luggage, bought a ticket and flew the day after.”

Fast forward 26 years, and Milos now has a lab at Toronto Rehab’s Lyndhurst Centre, where his team is designing prosthetic systems that allow patients with paralysis to move again.

You are listening to UHN Home, where we're telling stories to mark Canada 150. Every week, we'll tell you the stories of people who came from all around the world and stories of people whose families have called Canada home for thousands of years. They all work at the nation's largest research hospital: the University Health Network.

Produced by: Ana Gajic and Andrew Berthiaume

Cover art by: Jose Ongpin

Editing, production and storyboarding support for the series: Jarrett Churchill, Brianne Tulk, Danielle Pereira, Jessie Park, Jolson Lim, and Erica Ngao

Theme Music: 

Royalty-free from: Whitesand

It was a shared love for the 70s rock band, Dire Straits, that first formed a friendship between Dr. Nigil Haroon and UHN’s Dr. Robert Inman.

At the time, Dr. Haroon was finishing up his rheumatology training in Lucknow, India. Dr. Inman was visiting the country for a rheumatology conference and when Dr. Haroon told him he had no strong plans for his next move, Dr. Inman asked him to consider coming to Canada.

“Now, our labs are together,” says Dr. Haroon, who is currently a scientist at the Krembil Research Institute.

“Most of our projects are interlinked, and our lab meetings we do together, so we bounce ideas off each other. It's a great environment to be working with the Spondylitis team and Professor Rob Inman.”

You are listening to UHN Home, where we're telling stories to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. Every week, we'll tell you the stories of people who came from all around the world and stories of people whose families have called Canada home for thousands of years. They all work at the nation's largest research hospital: the University Health Network.

Produced by: Ana Gajic and Andrew Berthiaume

Cover art by: Jose Ongpin

Editing, production and storyboarding support for the series: Jarrett Churchill, Brianne Tulk, Danielle Pereira, Jessie Park, Jolson Lim, and Erica Ngao

Theme Music: 

Royalty-free from: Whitesand

For Sia Maro, Canada is a land of freedom and opportunity.

Now an administrative assistant in the Toronto Western Management Office, Sia originally came to Canada for university. She saw something unique in this country, and eventually made it her home.

“You are the captain of your ship and you drive that ship to your own success,” Sia says. “You define what your own success is and Canada gives you that opportunity to do that. I like that.”

You are listening to UHN Home, where we're telling stories to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. Every week, we'll tell you the stories of people who came from all around the world and stories of people whose families have called Canada home for thousands of years. They all work at the nation's largest research hospital: the University Health Network.

Produced by: Ana Gajic and Andrew Berthiaume

Cover art by: Jose Ongpin

Editing, production and storyboarding support for the series: Jarrett Churchill, Brianne Tulk, Danielle Pereira, Jessie Park, Jolson Lim, and Erica Ngao

Theme Music: 

Royalty-free from: Whitesand

Xavier Revelo arrived to Canada in the midst of the Canada Day parade in 2012. What stuck out to him about his new home was its diversity.

“I remember driving into downtown Toronto, and there was a huge parade,” he says. “And I remember all these people out on the street. And what struck me was all kinds of people, the different types of people - ethnicities and backgrounds – and being born in South America, and then spending about 10 years in the States, I was not used to that.”

You are listening to UHN Home, where we're telling stories to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. Every week, we'll tell you the stories of people who came from all around the world and stories of people whose families have called Canada home for thousands of years. They all work at the nation's largest research hospital: the University Health Network.

Produced by: Ana Gajic and Andrew Berthiaume

Cover art by: Jose Ongpin

Editing, production and storyboarding support for the series: Jarrett Churchill, Brianne Tulk, Danielle Pereira, Jessie Park, Jolson Lim, and Erica Ngao

Theme Music: 

Royalty-free from: Whitesand