Organ donation advocate raises money with Ottawa run
CBC News | Posted: October 5, 2013 4:54 PM | Last Updated: October 6, 2013
Half of funds raised goes to families of 6 Ottawa bus crash victims
Ottawa organ donation advocate Hélène Campbell will be on hand for the first ever A Lung Run in Ottawa, which is raising money for organ donation and families of six people killed in last month’s bus-train crash.
Campbell, 22, became well known for her advocacy work before and after undergoing a double-lung transplant in April 2012.
Campbell has advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. After her diagnosis, she documented her wait for new lungs through social media and grabbed the attention of celebrities Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres.
Since receiving her new lungs, Campbell received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Order of Ottawa and a United Way Community Builder Award.
She also helped organize Saturday’s run in the south Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven, raising money for her Give2Live campaign.
The campaign aims to raise $300,000 for 30 families who are part of the Transplant Patient and Family Support Fund at Toronto General Hospital. The money will help support basic living expenses like food, accommodations, medical equipment needs and travel to medical appointments.
Just recently, Campbell also announced half of this year’s funds would be given to the families of Dave Woodard, Kyle Nash, Connor Boyd, Michael Bleakney, Karen Krzyzewski and Rob More. Those were the six victims in last month’s crash.