About Us
About the Association
In 1987, the concerned parent of a child with aplastic anemia founded the Aplastic Anemia Family Association of Ontario. One of the very first goals of the Association was to advocate for the formation of a national bone marrow donor registry in Canada. Today, the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Association of Canada is a federally incorporated and a registered national charity with the ambitious goal of providing a seamless support network for every Canadian patient, family member, friend and concerned healthcare provider dealing with aplastic anemia, myelodysplasia or PNH.
Led by a volunteer board of directors and a distinguished team of medical advisors from across Canada, the Association has a number of provincial chapters. The Association relies heavily on the generosity of individual donors and volunteers, including chapter coordinators, to provide an array of essential programs and services.
Programs & Services
- Telephone and e-mail peer-to-peer support
- Educational material
- Quarterly newsletter
- Local patient support group meetings
- Annual Patient Education Day
- Grants for medical research and education
- Promotion of Canadian Blood Services programs and the Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry
Board of Directors
Gwen Barry
Secretary, Nova ScotiaMarilynne Convey
British ColumbiaVivian Do
Treasurer, OntarioJennifer Garvey
Nova ScotiaHaydn Liang
Chair, OntarioAshley Oakes
Vice-Chair, British ColumbiaChristine Pappas
OntarioSanjeev Parmar
AlbertaJesse Prager
OntarioPam Wishart
British ColumbiaMedical Advisors
Dr. S. Couban
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, HalifaxDr. Y. Dror
Hospital for Sick Children, TorontoDr. L. Larratt
University of Alberta Hospital, EdmontonDr. Heather Leitch
St. Paul's Hospital, VancouverDr. K. Schultz
BC Children's Hospital, VancouverDr. John Storring
McGill University Health Centre, MontrealDr. R. Wells
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, TorontoProvincial Support Groups
British Columbia
British Columbia hosts regular support group meetings in Metro Vancouver and the Thompson-Okanagan for myelodysplasia, aplastic anemia, and PNH patients and their families. Please contact us for more information.
Alberta
Alberta hosts regular support group meetings in Calgary and Edmonton for myelodysplasia, aplastic anemia, and PNH patients and their families. Please contact us for more information.
Ontario
Ontario hosts regular support group meetings in Toronto, Hamilton, Waterloo, London, Oshawa and Ottawa for myelodysplasia, aplastic anemia, and PNH patients and their families. Please contact us for more information.
Quebec
Meetings are held 2 -3 times per year in Quebec. These meetings are in French. Please contact us for more information.
Atlantic Provinces
The Atlantic support group normally meets on the last Wednesday of each month, except in July and August, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Our meetings are held at the Atlantica Hotel on Robie St. If you need more information or if a meeting in Halifax is too far out of the way for you, please contact us and we will attempt to find someone in your area with whom you can speak.
Other Provinces/Territories
Please contact us for more information.