As I write this, I am taking in all that surrounds me here at my desk.

I can hear Scott cracking a joke in his office, I can hear Melinda’s exasperated sigh coming from her office next to Nancy’s, who in turn is quipping up that the photo frame on her desk isn’t at the precise right angle in comparison to the window. And from behind me, I can hear Sean settling down with a steamy cup of tea.

And I think to myself – I’m really going to miss these people.

But the people I will be missing won’t just be the people I’m with everyday up here in the Administrative Offices. It’ll be the people working in the mailing room, the people working at the front desk, the people working for Green Zebra and everyone else who’s been involved with TB Vets while I’ve been here.

I wish I had gotten more time, much more time to spend with all the people that are part of this organization.  The weeks flew by, and I was kept busy with so many different opportunities – from holding a booth at various Green Zebra events to helping out with the mailings when things got a little too out of hand downstairs.

After three months of volunteering with TB Vets, I will be taking home with me many memories, but also a myriad of new skills that will help me in my future. Being a volunteer here has empowered me, and for that reason, I am very grateful for the opportunity that TB Vets has given me.

Thank you for taking me in so openly, and I will never forget the amazing experience I had here while in Katimavik. I will miss you all greatly.

As part of Generation Y and growing up in the 1990s, I never experienced the hardships that the veterans of today faced many years ago during World War Two, when Canada was involved in the biggest military conflict that the world had ever seen.

What I know about that time mostly comes from what I learned in my history classes in school, but also from the stories of veterans such as Harry Ho who helped build this organization to what it is today. Veterans such as him that came back from the war with tuberculosis and made a new life for themselves after having given so much to the cause inspire me to volunteer here at TB Vets.

I feel honoured to be able to spend time here at TB Vets, to have the opportunity to live a life free from the sufferings of war and conflict, all because of the sacrifices that the veterans and their fallen comrades gave to this country many years ago.

On June 6th, let us not forget our past and let us remember what happened 65 years ago on the shores of Normandy, where so many Canadians were wounded, were imprisoned, or died fighting for their country.

Our own Alfredo Munoz, Volunteer Coordinator with our Green Zebra Campaign, was wheeling Toby, TB Vets’ wonderful mailbox-mascot from an event when he heard a voice boom out from behind him ordering him to “Freeze!”.

You see, from the back and the sides, Toby looks like a regular mailbox. So while Alfredo was wheeling Toby on the sidewalk, a police officer was watching him. Thinking that he was stealing a real mailbox, the officer sprung to action and ordered him to stop moving!

Of course, it was all just a big misunderstanding and when the officer saw Toby from the front and Alfredo had a chance to explain himself, the officer laughed about the incident and Toby was back en route to freedom, after a close call with the law!

Come see Alfredo and Toby at a TB Vets event! Check out our Events page for listings.

Anyone who may have come in contact with this passenger is advised to contact their local health agency for further assistance. The affected buses were No. 5164 and No. 5155.

TB Vets is always actively on the lookout for new developments in TB cases so that we can all be better prepared to fight this disease, which has a long ways to go before it is vanquished. As strains become more and more resistant to the common treatments, so does the threat of a serious TB outbreak.

Your donations are essential to what we do here at TB Vets, and our mission to “help B.C. breathe” is directly linked with your generous contributions. Please help us combat TB by taking the time to donate here.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/05/28/calgary-tb-bus-alberta-bc-lethbridge-kelowna.html

The final championship match against the A.L. Gullison All Courts resulted in a 55-49 win for the Royals. With five wins and zero losses during the tournament, the Royals secured their second championship win in a row and successfully defended their title against other teams from across Canada.

But the action doesn’t stop there.

This past weekend, as part of Team B.C., Roberto had the opportunity to go to Montreal, Quebec, for the National Wheelchair Basketball championship. With an almost flawless record there as well, Team B.C. took a third consecutive victory in the annual tournament by winning 74-68 against Team Quebec. Team B.C. held the lead for most of the game.

The crowd, equipped with thunder-sticks, mostly cheered for the local team. It wasn’t an easy game for either team, but a solid defence and a big steal from Team B.C. near the end of the last quarter, when the game was tight and Quebec had the only lead of the game, allowed for a spectacular victory.

The only loss in the tournament was against Team Manitoba with a last-minute defeat, giving Team B.C. an overall 4-1 record in the tournament.

The future appears bright for Roberto and his team as they hope to keep conquering Wheelchair Basketball titles. With such a strong team, Team B.C. hopes to continue to hold their title against the other teams in next year’s national tournament, where the location is still to be decided pending the approval of the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association.

Because of the economic downtown this year, Roberto and his team didn’t get to travel much to the United States for the tournaments there, but he’s hopeful that next year will bring more opportunities to the sport.

Until then, Roberto will be training hard with other sports such as Wheelchair Tennis, which he affirms helps a lot with his game on the basketball court.

Good luck with your future adventures and way to go Roberto!

Three consecutive championship wins!

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the symptoms of this flu strain are very similar to the seasonal flu symptoms that many of us have experienced. It causes respiratory problems such as difficulty breathing, dry, episodic breathing and pneumonia and respiratory failure for some of the more severe cases. (Source: Click here)

The H1N1 Swine flu virus is essentially a respiratory illness. Access to respiratory equipment in local hospitals, and care from highly trained respiratory therapists is key to treating patients suffering from a bad case of influenza, whether it is swine flu or regular seasonal flu. Ventilators, nebulizers and other respiratory equipment are very important in saving lives threatened by respiratory problems. A ventilator helps people breathe when their own lungs aren’t enough, and a nebulizer is used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled into the lungs. Your donations help TB Vets provide these machines to hospitals all across B.C. Your donations also provide training for respiratory therapists. RTs are experts in treating lung problems.

The steps to avoid swine flu are simple, and are the same steps necessary to avoid colds, regular flu, and other contagious diseases: wash your hands frequently with soap and water; cough and sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue, not into your hand; and avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.

It is hard not worry about possible pandemic when then news is full of frightening stories, but it is easy to take steps to protect yourself. Frequent hand-washing is a simple and effective way to avoid contagious diseases. Also, please consider a small monthly donation to TB Vets, to ensure that hospitals near you have the equipment necessary to treat anyone who falls ill with respiratory disease. Our mission to help B.C. breathe is only achievable with your generous, tax-deductible donations, so please donate now.

According to the three-year study by a collaboration of scientists, patient hospitalization for respiratory issues increases by four percent for every increase of one degree celcius.  Interestingly an increase did not occur for cardiovascular or neurovascular problems, only for respiratory illnesses, indicating the need to focus on lung/breathing complications.  As the population of developed countries ages, putting more stress on the health system, this added factor could undermine societies’ ability to cope with an array of health problems.

To read the full article, please visit this site.  As for ideas and ways to reduce your footprint, and for other environmentally-related sites, please visit the links below:

• Nature Canada
• David Suzuki Foundation
• Wikia Green
• 100 Ways to Save the Environment
• Green Zebra (our very own eco-friendly savings book)

To help prevent and lower the severity of your asthma symptoms, try eating healthier – with a Mediterranean twist. All of the foods listed below can easily be prepared when consuming a Mediterranean-oriented diet.

For starters, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. In a 2007 study, where children were brought up eating a Mediterranean diet filled with such foods as grapes, apples, tomatoes, nuts, and olive oil, it was concluded that these children would be 66 percent less likely to experience asthma-like symptoms compared to kids who ate fewer of these foods.

Get the good fats – eating oily fish that are rich in omega-3s, which are used by the body to create anti-inflammatory compounds, may help prevent asthma and improve your symptoms if you already suffer.

Increase your intake of Vitamin E – but not from supplements. Get your Vitamin E from such foods as almonds, peanuts, avocado and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant, but it may also help in controlling asthma symptoms.

Also remember to incorporate magnesium into your diet – by eating prunes, legumes, leafy greens and wheat germ, you’ll ensure the proper contraction and relaxation of the bronchi that carry air to the lungs.

Taking all the preventative measures in the world to limit asthma won’t completely eliminate it. When hospitals need life-saving respiratory equipment to combat severe asthma attacks, they rely on TB Vets, who in turn rely on you through your generous donations.

Even a small monthly donation will help B.C. Breathe. Click here to take a bit of your time and make a donation.

Source:  The Globe and Mail

An article published last Wednesday by the Miami Herald demonstrates to us a very real threat, with many human lives at stake.

It is commonly thought that TB is a ‘’conquered’’ disease in developed countries and that the TB epidemics that once ravaged this earth are a thing of the past. But according to the World Health Organization, we are facing a possible catastrophe, with new, drug-resistant TB cases being reported all over the world, especially in impoverished countries.

The many new strains of drug-resistant TB are much harder to combat as they are resistant to the two major anti-TB drugs. Even more alarming are what scientists are calling extensively drug-resistant TB, which has an even more limited range of treatment options.

Here at TB Vets we are doing everything we can to combat this possible worldwide TB epidemic. Your donations help us provide the funds to such researchers as Dr. Av-Gay and Dr. Hmama at Vancouver General Hospital who are relentlessly trying to find new cures to once and for all vanquish TB.

So please take the time to donate even just a small amount to the cause – your contributions do make a difference.

DONATE here.

Dr. Av-Gay at his lab.

I come from Toronto, ON, and I have spent the last two rotations volunteering first in southwestern Ontario, followed by more volunteering in eastern Quebec. I’m finally here in Vancouver (free from the snow at last!) and I am simply loving it so far.

I’m very excited to begin my final trimester in this program by filling the massive shoes that Yoane and Kayla have left behind as they continue their treks across Canada.

TB Vets! What can I say? From the moment I entered this building – a bustling beehive of activity with many happy bees indeed – I was enthralled to see so many great people working for such a great cause, and I am thrilled to be here for the next three months.

Being a Katimavik participant has opened my eyes to the realities of this world, and I think TB Vets, with its long history of giving so much to so many people, will also give me a fantastic learning experience as well as give me the chance to do something, directly and indirectly, for others as well.

Thank you TB Vets for welcoming me with open arms, and I look forward to spending many weeks here.

-Gabe