SickKids VS SickKids Foundation

A new wave of venture philanthropists is pooling their money to fuel major medical discoveries. The return on their investment? Saving lives. Meet these changemakers plus the scientist behind a new way to diagnose brain tumours in kids.

(For bonus content or to advance similar research, please visit SickKidsFoundation.com/podcast. The SickKids VS Podcast is generously sponsored by CIBC and edited by Quill.)

Dr. Isaac Odame is making life easier for children with sickle cell disease—about half of whom in Canada will be seen at SickKids. Hear how he implemented an early detection and treatment program, and how he's tackling even bigger obstacles, including toxic treatments, anti-Black racism, and limited care capacity in other parts of the world.

(For bonus content or to advance similar research, please visit SickKidsFoundation.com/podcast. The SickKids VS Podcast is generously sponsored by CIBC and edited by Quill.)

Five-year-old Michael is one of less than 100 people in the world with SPG50, an ultrarare genetic disease. In March 2022, a SickKids team dosed Michael with the first-ever gene therapy for SPG50 in an unprecedented clinical trial. We tell the remarkable story of what it took to deliver a customized drug for Michael’s particular genetic variant, and what it means for SickKids’ vision of precision medicine.

(For bonus content or to advance similar research, please visit SickKidsFoundation.com/podcast. The SickKids VS Podcast is generously sponsored by CIBC and edited by Quill.)

For families whose children have had major heart surgeries, the idea of exercise can be terrifying. Is their heart strong enough? What if their heart fails? This fear is understandable but can be damaging in the long run. That’s why Dr. Barbara Cifra launched a first-of-its-kind exercise counselling program for children with congenital heart disease. Hear how the program empowers patients to shed their fears, know their limits, and live life to the fullest.

(For bonus content or to advance similar research, please visit SickKidsFoundation.com/podcast. The SickKids VS Podcast is generously sponsored by CIBC and edited by Quill.)

The kids aren't all right. During COVID, depression, anxiety and eating disorders skyrocketed. Families struggled. And a SickKids team started gathering data. Their real-time findings went on to influence policy and deepen knowledge of children's mental health.

(For bonus content or to advance similar research, please visit SickKidsFoundation.com/podcast. The SickKids VS Podcast is generously sponsored by CIBC and edited by Quill.)

Not all medical instruments are surgical. Hear from a trio of music therapists as they share unique approaches—and songs—for soothing pain, building bonds, and unlocking new ways of communicating for kids who are nonverbal.

(For bonus content or to advance similar research, please visit SickKidsFoundation.com/podcast. The SickKids VS Podcast is generously sponsored by CIBC and edited by Quill.)