Our Team

SHE/HER

Vanessa Ferguson is a Health Policy & Health Equity Ph.D. student at York University living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Through her research, Vanessa aims to unveil and challenge both new and old barriers to adequate and deserved care for Black and other racialized people living with SCD.

SHE/HER

TMU journalism graduate.

SHE/HER

Bethany is a young woman who enjoys advocating, learning, and reading about how to make life for Sickle Cell patients more manageable. She currently has her ECE, BA in Sociology and working towards pursing higher education. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and implementing self care practices into her life to ease the stress of managing chronic pain. She also enjoys writing and making posts to share with others on how to live life more easily with Sickle Cell. You can check out her tumblr and IG page.

SHE/HER

Sinthu is a social worker in the Red Blood Disorders Clinic. She is passionate about supporting and advocating on behalf of people with Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, and other hemoglobinopathies using Anti-Racist and social justice frameworks. Outside of work, Sinthu really enjoys watching musicals and theatre. Some of Sinthu’s hobbies and interests include learning how to play the guitar, reading sociology, writing, and spending time with friends.

SHE/HER

Shirin was diagnosed with Beta Thalassemia at six months. She was a patient at the Hospital for Sick Children up until the age of 18, after which she transferred to the Toronto General Hospital. Shirin receives monthly blood transfusions. Her hobbies include playing volleyball and softball, listening to podcasts, and spending time with friends. Shirin is a Registered Nurse and is working in Business Development with Salesforce (Health Care and Life Sciences). Shirin is also pursuing a Master’s of Business Administration. Finally, Shirin sits on the Board of Directors for the Thalassemia Foundation of Canada.

HE/HIM

James is the transition navigator with the Hemoglobinopathy program working between the Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto General Hospital. He supports adolescents and young adults with hemoglobinopathies with their transition from pediatric to adult care including transition readiness, psychosocial support, resource navigation, goal setting, and ensuring a seamless overall transition to adult care.

James graduated from the University of British Columbia Master of Occupational Therapy program in 2013.

SHE/HER

Colleen was a nurse practitioner with the Red Blood Cell Disorders for 10 years and will be retired by the end of 2022. She will continue to donate her time to the RBCD Hub, as needed.

SHE/HER

Oluwayemisi is a trained nurse in Nigeria who has suffered and survived devastating consequences of sickle cell disease. Her goal is to become licenced to practice as a nurse in Canada and help other sickle cell anemia patients to accomplish their goals and desires in life.

HE/HIM

Pratip is a Customer Success Manager working for a Boston based startup called solo.io. He has an MBA in Information Management and an engineering degree in Computer Science. He has been working for over 8 years in different management and business-oriented roles in India and recently moved to Toronto. He takes a keen interest in history, philosophy and finance. He's passionate about supporting and advocating for thalassemia patients and inclusive healthcare without barriers.

SHE/HER

Kathy Raufi is a Registered Psychotherapist and a Canadian Certified Counsellor. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a Masters in Counselling Psychology from the University of Toronto. Kathy has been a counsellor in post-secondary for over 15 years in Toronto and Ottawa. She has worked closely with young/mid age adults in the areas of Accessibility, Mental Health, and Career Counselling. Kathy continues to work as a patient advocate in the Thalassemia community, as a speaker, writer, and a contributing member of the Patient Working Group for the Red Blood Cell Disorders Hub at TGH. Kathy welcomes new connections with others, across the globe. Kathy enjoys time with her family, pilates, and the outdoors. You can follow Kathy’s writing on the Blog here!