Adrienne Charlie

Adrienne Charlie donated one of her kidneys to her adopted daughter a decade ago.

An Indigenous woman with roots in the Stó꞉lō Nation and Squamish First Nation communities, Adrienne had two children of her own and worked as a librarian when she met Elisa, an orphaned teenager. While in college, Elisa developed kidney disease.

“My best friend had died of kidney disease a few years earlier,” says Adrienne. “He had been on the waiting list for a transplant for 15 or 16 years.”

Adrienne offered to donate and proved to be a good match for Elisa. Transplant surgery succeeded, both recovered fully and Elisa recently gave birth to her first child. These days, both do their utmost to promote Indigenous health and wellness, particularly through Bridge to Transplant: a bold, province-wide program for rural and remote Indigenous communities.

“I appreciate that the work that I've done to support living has reached Canadian Blood Services; hopefully it can reach others across the country,” says Adrienne.