In their own words: barriers to accessing paediatric pain care in the community

Vina Mohabir is responsible for the evaluation of key performance-related outcomes at the healthcare provider level. She completed her BSc at York University. Vina brings extensive research experience from her past positions at UHN, CAMH, and SickKids. Vina is passionate about creating an accessible, equitable, and inclusive healthcare system using digital health solutions. In her free time, Vina is a patient partner focusing on youth engagement in research and improving the lives of kids and youth with chronic pain.

Chloe Fleisher is a grade 9 student from Toronto, Ontario. She has been a patient at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) since birth and has experienced chronic pain for the past 6 years. Chloe has many hobbies including drawing, writing, playing with her cat and eating ramen noodles. She has been involved in many hospital improvement projects and is a member of the Patient Advisory Committee for the SickKids Pain Centre. Chloe was invited to be a keynote speaker at a pain education event hosted by Solutions for Kids in Pain -Canada's knowledge mobilization network for pain management. She shares her lived experience to help healthcare professionals better understand the patient perspective and improve supports for children living with pain.

Michelle Wan is a member of the SickKids Family Advisory Network and has been involved in many patient-engagement and improvement initiatives at the Hospital. She also serves on the Citizen Engagement Council for the CHILD-BRIGHT network and is a patient partner with SKIP (Solutions for Kids in Pain). Professionally, Michelle has worked in the non-profit arts and media industries as well as in Medical Education.

Tattiana is a fourth year bachelor student studying health and wellness at Humber College. Tattiana is an advocate for sickle cell anemia. She had won an essay competition and that essay outlined her experience having a stroke and how first responders helped her.

Zahra is an undergraduate Kinesiology student at McMaster University. She’s passionate about sharing her lived experiences in research and contributing as a Patient Partner to various organizations. In her spare time, she loves to read, bake and spend time outdoors.