About Us
Meet Our Board of Directors
Kawasaki Disease Canada was incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act in May, 2014. In December 2015, Kawasaki Disease Canada became registered as a national charity.
Kawasaki Disease Canada’s mission is to ensure Kawasaki disease is top-of-mind for Canadians. Our vision is saving children’s hearts from the effects of Kawasaki disease.
Elizabeth is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts program at the University of Guelph, the Personal Financial Planner Diploma program, and the Richard Ivey School of Business Leadership Program. Following a successful career in financial services for almost 30 years, Elizabeth took over the position of President & Chief Executive Officer at The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation in August 2017. Elizabeth has volunteered for a number of organizations including the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery Board of Directors, Operations Chairperson for Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion, and in various roles for Heart & Stroke Foundation, United Way and KidsAbility.
In 2008, Elizabeth’s 6-year old son, Dylan, passed away suddenly of heart complications due to undiagnosed Kawasaki Disease. After sharing her story for a number of years with everyone and anyone who would listen in order to spread awareness of the disease, she felt compelled to do more. In February 2014, Kawasaki Disease Canada was born and Elizabeth is co-founder and Chair of the Board of Directors. The organization was incorporated as a national not-for-profit in May 2014 and achieved charitable status in December 2015.
Paul retired in 2018 from a 30+ year career in commercial banking having worked in business development and risk management roles with major Canadian financial institutions as well as international banks. Paul focussed on finding creative solutions to exceed client’s expectations. Currently, Paul is actively involved with Kitchener Rotary (Past President 2019 – 2020), Board member of oneRoof Youth Services and Treasurer, Kawasaki Disease Canada. He is a past Board member of KW YMCA and prior to 2011 was on the Board of Halton Community Legal Services and the Halton Hills Public Library.
Paul has a MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from McGill University. Aside from work, he enjoys travel and experiencing local history, art galleries and museums and also finds time for bike riding, fitness, reading, cooking and spending time with family.
Sarina has worked in the health care industry in leadership and information management related roles for over 25 years in hospital and leading initiatives with the provincial government. She is a tireless and passionate enabler and advocate for patient access since the early days when there were significant barriers to patients having access to their own or family medical records. Sarina was determined to drive change through advocacy and digital innovation and today she is recognized across Canada as a leader and pioneer of one of Canada’s first and largest personal health and continuity of health care record systems launched successfully in 2006.
Sarina was inspired 26 years ago following a health scare with her youngest daughter who became suddenly ill and hospitalized with an unexplained and critical condition that was eventually diagnosed as Kawasaki disease. Sarina was convinced then through her experience as a parent that access to medical record information and test results would have made the experience less difficult and stressful. Sarina’s vision was to empower patients and families with the same access as clinicians to stay informed and enabled to participate and monitor health and care for themselves or loved ones.
Leora has been a teacher with the York Region District School Board for close to 15 years. She is a passionate educator and advocate for children, with a focus on special education. She has worked with several vulnerable populations including those with developmental disabilities, acquired brain injuries, and complex educational needs.
In addition to teaching, Leora is passionate about mental health and the power of sharing experiences through social media. She shares her stories on a personal blog entitled lifelovemom.ca, as well as a variety of other social media platforms.
In 2014, Leora’s (then 2.5-year-old) daughter was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. She endured a week-long hospital stay, multiple infusions and cardiac follow-ups. When she was released with no lifelong health effects, Leora vowed to use the opportunity to support other KD parents in any way possible.
Carin’s son, Isaiah, contracted Kawasaki disease just before turning 3 years of age with resultant coronary aneurysms. He underwent bypass surgery at the age of four years. Since Isaiah’s diagnosis, Carin has been a passionate online Kawasaki disease awareness advocate. Carin has detailed Isaiah’s Kawasaki disease journey on her blog and founded an online support group for parents and caregivers of Kawasaki disease children living with permanent coronary damage.
Antara is a graduate of the Bachelor’s of Business Administration program from Wilfrid Laurier University, and holds a Professional Masters of Education Degree from Queen’s University. Antara is a senior leader in the Financial Services industry and has spent over 20 years building a successful career. She is currently focused on Organizational Learning & Development and enjoys helping Financial Advisors in their practices to increase Financial Literacy amongst Canadians.
In 2016, Antara’s eldest son was diagnosed and successfully treated for Kawasaki disease at the age of 3 without any complications. In the same year, Antara lost her middle son as an infant, to congenital heart defects. After sharing her stories to those who know her, Antara was compelled to do more and joined Kawasaki Disease Canada.
Antara brings a relentless commitment to raising awareness and education of Kawasaki disease to save a child’s heart. She leverages this platform passionately to work with and support parents, caregivers, paediatricians, cardiologists and those in the GTA community.