Leonor is a dental receptionist who joined the CPC as a caregiver. Born in Lima, Peru, she has lived in Vancouver for the past 30 years. Although she was diagnosed with asthma in childhood, her symptoms subsided after moving to Vancouver until they resurfaced over 10 years ago. Through her involvement with the CPC, Leonor hopes to deepen her understanding of her condition and contribute to asthma-related research.

.

.

Growing up in a household with several heavy smokers, Santa was diagnosed with asthma at the age of three. She still struggles to keep her severe asthma under control. Santa’s professional background is in business development and project management, and more recently as a project manager. She has worked internationally and locally and has a degree in psychology.

Santa is a dedicated volunteer and brings her personal and professional experience to help make things happen. Santa brings many years of experience as a patient partner for airway health research. She also volunteers with her church and in Vancouver’s various communities. Santa is focused on building strong relationships within the CPC and cares deeply about her fellow members.

.

Marilyn was diagnosed with moderate COPD about seven years ago, having already quit smoking after nearly 60 years. Since then, her condition has become more severe, and she has also been diagnosed with asthma. Marilyn has lived in Vancouver since 1984 and, now in her 80s, maintains a fairly active lifestyle, including attending aquafit classes. Despite health challenges, she enjoys walks with her son (who jokes that he walks the dogs – and then the mom) and spending time with her grandsons.

Through the CPC, she’s learned so much from other members: participating in programs they’ve recommended, sharing exercises and solutions, and connecting with others living with lung diseases. Being a patient partner has given Marilyn a meaningful way to give back and contribute to COPD and asthma research.

Lisa was born into an industrial city and a household of smokers and suffered recurrent pneumonia and bronchitis in her early life. She grew up with a scary feeling that she would die from poor lung health. She could not get relief except by living in an allergen-free bubble until asthma was finally diagnosed and treated in her 40s. Now in her 60s, she is relieved to have her symptoms under control without having to live in a bubble.

When her asthma was not in control, it created barriers in her personal and professional life, especially when traveling and speaking. Lisa retired young, partly for those reasons, and now sets her own pace, volunteering for several non-profit groups. Her professional and volunteer focus has been related to the health of the planet, and she is keen to learn more about respiratory health. The skills she offers to CPC include project management, public communication, and group facilitation.

Jim grew up in Ireland and moved to Hong Kong where he and his wife taught English for 10 years. Eleven years ago, they made Vancouver their home. Jim also worked in the Pharmaceutical industry for several years in various roles, including in quality control and drug preparation. In 2013, he was diagnosed with COPD. Through a referral from his respirologist, he was able to join a pulmonary rehabilitation program. After completing the program, he saw huge improvements in his breathing and felt hopeful that he could continue to improve his quality of life. Jim joined the CPC to be able to give back to the community. He is interested in contributing to research and programs aimed at finding solutions and making things better for people living with lung disease.

I’m Tony Lanier and I live in metro Vancouver but I spent many years in New York City and Los Angeles. Besides the economic shifts that were taking place during the 1960s, the quality of air in North America was compromised by the use of coal, leaded auto gasoline products, and nautical diesel output. Fast forward, my asthma worsened and there was a lack of attention controlling the asthma by clinicians and myself. I ignored the symptoms.

I joined the Legacy for Airway Health Community Partner Committee because I believe asthma should be identified early and systematically managed. Furthermore, the sufferers should be properly educated about the condition and receive quality follow-up treatment to help keep asthma under control. Lung ailments shouldn’t be an afterthought. As a member of the CPC, my hope is to bring attention to some of the gaps we’ve experienced and offer ideas that could potentially be used as medical protocols for lung-related illnesses in BC.

Sue Lutz, also known as The Artist Snoozen, has been a member of the CPC from the conception of the idea to the present day. She joined the team with the understanding that the struggles she faces in her health battles might assist researchers to understand the patient more effectively. Throughout this first year of Legacy, her role is that of a CPC team member who assists in meetings and participates in research studies.

Anna (Anni) Rychtera is a former Health Sciences College Educator, Nurse Practitioner, and Natural Health Practitioner. She has worked in rural and remote areas, including Nunavut, and in a variety of settings and across diverse cultures.

Her lived experience with chronic respiratory illness, chronic nerve pain (following a sports injury and delayed surgery), and as a cancer survivor has shaped her strong belief in the importance of being an informed patient and an equal partner in health care and decision-making. Anni was a long-time volunteer facilitator and Health Coach for the University of Victoria’s self-management programs and continues to serve as a “First Link” Peer Support volunteer with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Her involvement with the BC SUPPORT Unit and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) began as a co-facilitator for the CIHR pilot program for Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), contributing to the publication Co-building a Patient-Oriented Research Curriculum. She is passionate about advancing health research, improving health outcomes, and promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion for all.

In addition to her role on the Community Partner Committee (CPC), Anni is a Research Partner with Research Ethics BC and the BC SUPPORT Unit, a member of SPENCoP (SPOR Patient Engagement National Community of Practice), and a PaCER (Patient and Community Engagement Research) student at the University of Calgary.

Erin Wiebe has been part of the LAH Community Partner Committee for several years and is grateful for the opportunity to continue learning and sharing knowledge with others.

She grew up in small towns in BC’s Interior and Kootenays. Erin has two amazing young adult children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have faced complex medical conditions since birth, requiring frequent care at BC Children’s Hospital. She also has four stepchildren and five grandchildren.

Erin has lived with severe asthma since childhood, which has become more difficult to manage over the years. She was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma at 12, has experienced recurrent pneumonia since age 15, and now lives with long COVID. Support from the PHSA Long COVID Clinic has helped her manage symptoms by staying within her “energy envelope,” a concept she finds useful across many chronic conditions.

Erin enjoys photography, boating, birding, and painting in her spare time. Professionally, Erin works as a senior child and youth care worker supporting children with severe disabilities in a 24/7 care setting. She finds the work deeply rewarding. Her past roles include working in a hospital lab and running a licensed in-home daycare.

Born and raised in Burnaby, Jennifer Wong graduated with a BSc in Health Sciences from SFU in 2024 and is currently pursuing a Master of Clinical Science in Audiology at Western University. She works as a Respite Caregiver and enjoys running, reading, and volunteering in her free time. Jennifer had asthma as a child but grew out of it in high school, which she attributes to strengthening her lungs through competitive swimming and running. This experience sparked her passion for the respiratory and immune systems, and she looks forward to working more with LAH.

Zainab is an undergraduate student, completing her B.Sc at UBC in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience with future aspirations in healthcare. She was diagnosed with asthma as a child and was introduced to Legacy for Airway Health by her asthma care team at BC Children’s Hospital. Alongside Zainab, four of her family members also suffer from asthma, therefore living with chronic asthma quickly became the norm she was accustomed to, creating barriers very early in her life. Now, she learns to draw passion and intentionality from her experiences in guiding her interest in airway disease research and elsewhere. Outside of LAH, Zainab has been a research assistant with the BCCHR’s Pediatric Respiratory Department and the UBC Department of Psychology. She is also currently working as a research assistant in the Doan Lab Research Program at BCCHR where she assists with projects based in the pediatric emergency department. Aside from those pursuits, Zainab enjoys reading, doing various textile-related projects and spending time outdoors.