CELEBRATE
Photo credit: Flytographer
the Gift of Life
Tha
nk s
to th
e g if
t of o
rgan
do n a ti on,
B r yn
leigh i
s hom
Heart of Hope: SPRING 2025 | VOLUME 46 Brynleigh's Transplant Story
1
Message from the Chairman
2
Message from the CEO
2
Message from the SVP, Fund Development
3
Message from the Director of Family Relations
3
Brynleigh's Transplant Journey Continued
4
4 Decades of Life-changing Support— DFF Milestones: A Legacy of Impact!
6
Organ Donor Donation Month— Charli's Story and the True Impact of Organ Donation
8
Partnership Spotlight Giving Back to the Foundation
9
Green Shirt Day — April 7, 2025
10
Celebrating Alicia's 10 Years of Impact and Welcome Ashley Kiss
10
A Legacy of Giving — Bonnie and Johnny Buhler
11
Thank You to All Our Partners
11
Become An Organ Donor
12
212 HENRY ST., VICTORIA, BC V9A 3H9 OFFICE: 250.475.1223 FAX: 250.475.1193 TOLL FREE: 1.877.777.7675 DAVIDFOSTERFOUNDATION.COM
e & thri
ving with
her loving
family.
The Desjardins Family's Journey Through Brynleigh's Heart Transplant In the quiet town of Lethbridge, Alberta, the Brynleigh Desjardins family faced a challenge that would TRANSPLANT NEEDED: HEART test their strength, faith, and resilience. Brynleigh HOME: Desjardins, born on July 29, 2017, was diagnosed LETHBRIDGE, AB with a critical heart condition even before she took her first breath. This is the story of a family's unwavering love, a little girl's indomitable spirit, and the life-saving support of the David Foster Foundation. At 20 weeks pregnant, Melissa Desjardins received news that no expecting mother ever wants to hear. During a routine scan, doctors detected shadowing around her baby's heart. The Desjardins were sent to Calgary for a more detailed examination, where a pediatric cardiologist delivered the devastating diagnosis: Brynleigh had critical aortic stenosis, a condition that gave her little chance of survival. "As parents, we were shattered," Melissa recalls. "But we decided to fight for her, no matter what." Brynleigh's condition evolved into hypoplastic left heart syndrome, qualifying her for a three-stage surgery post-birth. At 37 weeks pregnant, Melissa relocated to Edmonton to prepare for Brynleigh's arrival. At just five days old, Brynleigh underwent her first open-heart surgery, the Norwood procedure. Her resilience shone through as she successfully endured the next stage, the Glenn procedure, at seven months old. CONTINUES ON PAGE 4