RBC Foundation Grants $50,000 to Help Expand Lifelines of Connection for Chronically Ill Youth

Toronto, ON – Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) is proud and grateful to announce it has received a $50,000 grant from the RBC Foundation to expand On Common Grounds, a critical peer support program for youth aged 13–23 living with chronic illnesses across Canada.

This one-year gift from RBC Foundation will help KHLF to bring On Common Grounds to more youth in rural, remote, and underserved communities, where access to emotional and social support is often limited or non-existent.

On Common Grounds provides online, diagnosis-specific support groups led by certified Child Life Specialists. Through creative workshops, themed conversations, and peer mentorship, the program creates a safe space for youth to connect with others who truly understand their journey—reducing isolation and building resilience.

“Young people living with chronic illnesses often feel like no one ‘gets it,’ especially when they’re far from the hospitals or support services found in major cities,” said Kim Henry, Executive Director of Kids’ Health Links Foundation. “Thanks to the incredible generosity of RBC Foundation, we can now offer more lifelines of connection to youth who need it most.”

Youth participants consistently report powerful emotional benefits. One teen shared, “For the first time, I didn’t have to explain what I was going through—everyone just got it. I finally felt like I belonged.”

This expansion also strengthens the bridge into KHLF’s larger Upopolis community, which connects over 550 youth annually and has helped more than 12,000 young people since 2007. With more youth relying on outpatient care and fewer chances to connect in person, programs like On Common Grounds are becoming essential to supporting their mental and emotional well-being.

“We’re honoured to receive this funding from RBC Foundation,” Henry added. “Together, we’re creating meaningful, lasting change—giving youth facing serious health challenges the connection, confidence, and community they deserve.”

To learn more about Kids’ Health Links Foundation, On Common Grounds and the broader Upopolis platform, visit www.kidshealthlinks.org or www.upopolis.ca

Media Contact:
Kim Henry
Executive Director, Kids’ Health Links Foundation
kim@kidshealthlinks.org
519-496-9999

Tuesday in Tuscany Fundraising Dinner Returns to Support Youth Facing Serious Health Challenges

Kids’ Health Links Foundation hosts an unforgettable evening on June 24 at Alioli Restaurante, presented by CPDN, to fund vital mental wellness programs for young people across Canada.

Mississauga, ON – May 7, 2025 – On June 24, join us for Tuesday in Tuscany, a powerful night of purpose and connection hosted at Alioli Restaurante in Mississauga. Organized by Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF), this meaningful fundraising dinner—presented by CPDN (Canadian Pharmaceutical Distribution Network)—supports youth across Canada who are navigating life with chronic illness, medical trauma, or grief.

These young people often face their health journeys in isolation—missing school, friendships, and the support systems most take for granted. KHLF’s flagship program, Upopolis, offers a lifeline: a secure, supportive online platform where youth can connect with peers, access mental health resources, and feel understood.

“Every ticket purchased and every sponsorship secured directly impacts the life of a young person struggling with health challenges,” says Kim Henry, Executive Director of KHLF. “Tuesday in Tuscany isn’t just a dinner—it’s a chance to be part of someone’s healing journey.”

This intimate evening will feature:

• A multi-course Italian dining experience at Alioli Restaurante

• Powerful stories that show how your support transforms lives

• A chance to make a lasting impact on youth mental wellness

Tickets and sponsorships are available now—but space is limited.

Whether you attend as a guest or sponsor, your support helps youth facing health challenges build resilience, connection, and hope.

Reserve your seat or become a sponsor today:
www.kidshealthlinks.org/tuesday-in-tuscany-2024

For media inquiries or sponsorship information, contact:
Basile Papaevangelou | 647-880-3037

About Kids’ Health Links Foundation
Kids' Health Links Foundation empowers youth facing medical and emotional challenges by providing access to digital programs that foster connection, resilience, and mental wellness. Through Upopolis, youth across Canada can find strength and support when they need it most.

Kids’ Health Links Foundation Expands Board with Visionary Leaders

In a move that promises to enhance its mission and broaden its impact, the Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) is excited to announce the appointment of three exceptional new members to its Board of Directors: June Lutchman, Jennifer Starr, and Dov Mileevsky. This dynamic trio brings a wealth of experience, innovative thinking, and a heartfelt commitment to the well-being of children facing medical challenges. READ MORE

What is the new Upopolis Island?

In 2021, the Upopolis team worked with the programmers at TELUS to develop a version of Upopolis for siblings and youth nagavating grief. The platform has the same look and feel as Upopolis with a few special adaptations to help connect youth to ongoing support from programs they may also attend in their community. To make a referral click here

Upopolis Podcast is LIVE

In September 2020, the Upopolis team launched their first podcast. There are 18 episodes in the library, including patient experiences, women of impact in Child Life across Canada, tips for preparing for immunizations, and more. Check out all the episodes here

Sotheby's Days of Giving Raises $20,000 Kids' Health Links Foundation and SickKids

On September 12, 2018, over 80 Sotheby’s International Realty Canada (SIRC) team members, family and friends met at their Toronto offices in the first Days of Giving (LIVE Giving) pilot program. This video captures the spirit of the event.

The SIRC team assembled over 300 craft kits, and as importantly, raised $20,000 for KHLF and SickKids Foundation. Congratulations and thanks to the top three fundraisers – Alessia Polo/Janice Williams, Nigel Denham and Linda Chu.

Now that the pilot is complete and with the many lessons learned, the plan will be to roll out similar programs across the country in the communities SIRC serves. This roll out will leverage the relationships that Kids’ Health Links Foundation has in over 30 children’s hospitals and other paediatric health care facilities across Canada.

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada intends to designate a few individual days throughout the year where everyone from SIRC will be involved in similar activities all in support of kids in hospitals, ideally on the exact same day. The impact from the full force and effect of this involvement would be substantial.

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada: Artfully uniting extraordinary experience and extraordinary children.

Samuel, Son Co. Becomes Enabling Sponsor of Kids’ Health Links Foundation

Samuel, Son Co. Becomes Enabling Sponsor of Kids’ Health Links Foundation

Toronto, Ontario… Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) is excited to announce that thanks to a generous multi-year funding commitment, Samuel, Son & Co. (Samuel), a leading metals and industrial products manufacture, processor and distributor, is now an Enabling Sponsor of the organization. KHLF creates social technology platforms that help chronically ill youth better cope with their anxiety, isolation and loneliness resulting from medical experiences, and that give health care professionals the opportunity to spend more time directly serving and supporting the children, youth and families they work with. KHLF believes that positive emotional well-being can be fostered by maintaining family connections and encouraging active social participation. By providing technology that enables this well-being, KHLF hopes to help children and teens heal faster and better overcome traumatic medical experiences. The funds donated by Samuel will be used to support the advancement of the Foundation’s programs, like Upopolis, Upedia and Umind.

 “It’s because of the heart and vision of companies like Samuel that KHLF and our important programs have a chance to fulfill their potential and make their greatest impact,” said Kids’ Health Links Foundation Chairman and Co-founder, Basile Papaevangelou. “It’s clear that a strong pillar to Samuel’s success is their focus on doing the right thing -- not only for their customers and employees, but also for their community. As a family-owned business, their culture of integrity and deep rooted commitment to giving back is evident – and for that, to them I give my most heartfelt thanks.”

About Kids’ Health Links Foundation
Kids’ Health Links Foundation was founded by Basile Papaevangelou and his daughter Christina to foster initiatives focused on alleviating the stress, isolation and loneliness for kids and teens undergoing medical care so that they might be better able to overcome traumatic medical experiences. For more information about Kids’ Health Links Foundation please visit www.kidshealthlinks.org.

About Samuel, Son & Co.
Founded in 1855, Samuel, Son & Co. is a family-owned and operated, integrated network of metal manufacturing, processing and distribution divisions.  With over 4,800 employees and 100+ facilities, Samuel provides seamless access to metals, industrial products and related value-added services.  Supporting over 40,000 customers, we leverage our industry expertise, breadth of experience and the passion of our people to help drive success for North American business – one customer at a time. For more information, visit www.samuel.com.

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For more information, please contact:

Kids’ Health Links Foundation                               

Basile Papaevangelou                                              

basile@kidshealthlinks.org

647-880-3037                                                             

SAVE THE DATE : Tuesday in Tuscany Event -- June 26, 2018

Mark your Calendars! Tickets on Sale! 

"The Story of How I Became a Child Life Volunteer" – by K. Elina

K. Elina is currently a Kids' Health Links Foundation Ambassador and is a former Upopolis user. She took it upon herself to write this blog post on her experience with the peer-support platform, her passion for the profession of Child Life, and her life as a difference-maker. Thank you K. Elina for your dedication to Upopolis over the years and your commitment to making the world a better place. You are an inspiration! 

"Having Mitochondrial Complex One and Four Disease means I am immunocompromised, and has caused neutropenia. This limits me from participating in community-based settings including doing things that interest me, like volunteering for hospitals. But as a teen, I was introduced to a virtual program called Upopolis. I first became a user, and eventually an online Mentor to other youth in various leadership roles on platform.

Then when I was 19, I gathered research in resources for Child Life Specialists (a profession that works with children, youth and families in hospitals) and participated in speaking events answering questions about my experience being a pediatric patient. I developed my own personal blog and over time, through learning from the Khan Academy's Entrepreneur courses and becoming a Khan Academy Support Advocate Volunteer, I learned how Entrepreneurship can impact the world.

While I will never be a Child Life Specialist, I do have the title of Child Life Volunteer. As an Artist, and with the many skill sets I’ve learned over time, I plan to deliver my skills for free to all Child Life Specialists. I know this profession makes a difference, and for any youth out there, no matter what challenges you face, there are many ways you can help make a difference.

After all, technology allowed me to accomplish anything. Everyone in my life shaped me, mentored me and cared for me as I am today, and because of this, I withstand the odds that were stack against me and push ahead. My most happiest part of all is my extreme gratitude to carry the title and term "Child Life Volunteer”. A profession that works hard to make sure pediatric patients receive more then medicine but also receive the gift of being able to be Child or Teen during challenging times. And, maybe one day, becoming a Child Life Volunteer virtually like I did.

Either way, I take the title "Child Life" close to my heart, having volunteered for Upopolis and now the charity that founded the program, Kids’ Health Link Health Foundation. Without the support of Child Life professionals, who administer and manage Upopolis, I would not have made it this far. Imagine for a moment if a pediatric patients like me, who were isolated, didn't have Upopolis? What would have I become?

Your funding dollars help many youth everyday on Upopolis. Your support helps users gain confidence, leadership and feel connected, like I did, because of the program. Please considering donating to Kids’ Health Links Foundation and supporting Upopolis so other youth can benefit too, get the peer-support available and the access youth-friendly information that Upopolis has to offer.

In Honour and Memory of my Papa who encouraged and supported me in my volunteer roles; who was the greatest supporter of what Upopolis did for me. Every donation made helps another pediatric patient benefit like I did."

- K. Elina

Sheridan Nurseries Becomes Presenting Sponsor of Upedia.ca, the Premiere Online Resource for the Child Life Profession

Sheridan Nurseries Becomes Presenting Sponsor of Upedia.ca, the Premiere Online Resource for the Child Life Profession

Toronto, Ontario… In a new and exciting partnership, Sheridan Nurseries, Canada’s largest garden centre retailer and grower, is now Presenting Sponsor of Upedia.ca (Upedia)– an international online community and peer-reviewed psychosocial resource library developed for child life specialists to share knowledge and practices that best support and enhance a child and their family’s ability to cope with health care experiences.

Developed by Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) specifically for child life specialists and those affiliated with child life, Upedia gives professionals the opportunity to spend less time developing and researching effective programs, resources and promising interventions, and more time directly serving the children, youth and families they work with. This unique platform breaks down resource silos to build a virtual community of professionals, supporting them in their commitment to the psychosocial development of children, and aiding them in their work to help children and their families cope with the challenges of hospitalization and illness.

Upedia’s registered members include child life specialists and individuals from related professions from over 200 organizations throughout North America and globally. Upedia’s library of resources began with the submission of content contributions from some of Canada’s leading pediatric institutions, including The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, IWK Health Centre in Halifax, BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. These pioneering content contributors had a desire to engage in knowledge-exchange and saw Upedia’s vision of removing the barriers to information-sharing within the child life community in order to better serve children and families. Upedia prides itself on its relevancy and ensuring the most current and validated resources, research, clinical tools and interventions are available to help support it’s users and advance the practice of child life.

Karl. E. Stensson, CEO & President at Sheridan Nurseries said, “As one of the few family-owned businesses still operating in Canada after 100+ years, we believe one of the keys to our success has been our belief in the importance of supporting those in our community and more specifically, children. The ability to do so is a result of the passion, commitment and dedication by our entire team to achieve our charitable goals in all areas of our business.” Stensson added, “Kids Health Links Foundation is a child-focused charitable organization with a very low administration fee which ensures the maximum amount of our donation dollars goes directly to supporting the children. We are very proud to support Upedia, an important and valuable online resource for child care professionals, and an extension of the KHLF initiatives.”

“It’s because of the heart and vision of companies like Sheridan Nurseries that programs like Upedia have a chance to fulfill their potential and make their greatest impact,” said Kids’ Health Links Foundation Chairman and Co-founder, Basile Papaevangelou. “As a major supporter of KHLF over the last five years, Sheridan’s presenting sponsorship of Upedia solidifies our important partnership and demonstrates the company’s deep rooted commitment to supporting the well-being of children in the communities in which they serve.”

Sheridan Nurseries’ partnership will help expand the Upedia Webinar Series, which was created in 2012 in response to an expressed need by child life specialists for more accessible and practice-specific professional development opportunities. In the recent past, Upedia webinars have included critical topics such as, “Pediatric Palliative Care”, “Supporting Children with Autism in a Health Care Setting”, and “Child Development and Chronic Illness.” Sheridan Nurseries’ sponsorship dollars will also help Upedia continue to grow its online collection of over 1600 practical tools, promising interventions and valuable resources developed by child life specialists in hospitals and other health care organizations across Canada.

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About Upedia
Upedia is a national knowledge-exchange initiative and dynamic online community for child life specialists and those affiliated with the child life profession. With ongoing content contributions from pediatric care centres across Canada, child life professionals can access resources, connect and share practical tools, knowledge, and participate in online training to help them best support and enhance a child’s ability to cope with health care experiences. It is an initiative launched and supported by Kids' Health Links Foundation (KHLF). For more information, visit www.upedia.ca.

About Kids’ Health Links Foundation
Kids’ Health Links Foundation was founded by Basile Papaevangelou and his daughter Christina to foster initiatives focused on alleviating the stress, isolation and loneliness for kids and teens undergoing medical care so that they might be better able to overcome traumatic medical experiences. For more information about Kids’ Health Links Foundation please visit www.kidshealthlinks.org.

About Sheridan Nurseries
Sheridan Nurseries has been a grower and purveyor of quality plant material for the landscape industry and gardening public since 1913. With a proud heritage and legacy for innovation, Sheridan Nurseries has grown to be one of Canada’s largest growers of hardy nursery plants and has eight Garden Centres in the Greater Toronto Area. Growing over 1200 cultivars of perennials and hardy nursery stock on 350 hectares in Halton Hills, Ontario, Sheridan Nurseries ships 1.8 million plants annually to markets across North Eastern North America. For more information, visit www.sheridannurseries.com.

For more information, please contact:

Upedia, Jessica Miller-Poesch, 780-680-9418, jessica@kidshealthlinks.org

Kids’ Health Links Foundation, Basile Papaevangelou, 647-880-3037, basile@kidshealthlinks.org

Sheridan Nurseries, Valerie Stensson, 416-798-7970, vstensson@sheridannurseries.com 

Celebrating 10 Years of Upopolis with 10 Amazing Months of Content for 10 Diagnosis!

Celebrating 10 Years of Upopolis with 10 Amazing Months of Content for 10 Diagnoses!

Who says birthday celebrations only last one day?!

To celebrate ten years of Upopolis, the programming team will be working with partners, potential partners and youth users to bring "Upoppers" ten months of focused and informative content to the medical resource library within the site - Uknow. This "U10" campaign will also work to raise awareness about Upopolis in hospitals across Canada and throughout various national healthcare communities.

Each of the ten months will focus on one of ten different patient populations/ diagnosis:

• January - Auto Immune
• February - Cardiology
• March - Juvenile Arthritis/ Ortho
• April - IBS &Crohn’s
• May - Cystic Fibrosis
• June - Rare Diseases
• July / August - Camps
• September - Childhood Cancer
• October - Epilepsy
• November - Diabetes
• December - Amputee

Here is an example of U10 Programming happening monthly on Upopolis:

• Weekly posts and content will be added to the site, like relevant info and facts related to the month's featured diagnosis.                                 
• Upal Features, each month one or two Upals (youth in Upopolis' Leadership Program) will be interviewed and asked to share their stories. 
• 1-2 users will be asked to lead the Crew Space (medical resource space) for the diagnosis of the month.  
• Resource Development, youth and staff will be engaged from all Upopolis partner organizations to help with planning and creation of content and resources for the month.
• New info and links will be added to the Crew Space for the diagnosis the month.
• Existing relevant content on the site will be highlighted.

KHLF 2017 Year-in-Review

Here is just some of what we achieved in 2017!

• We reached 27 hospitals and organizations in Canada offering Upopolis to their youth. The new hub and spoke model we developed allows community hospitals, organizations and camps to partner with us too.
• 24 crew spaces are available for youth to join on Upopolis. What is a crew space? These are diagnosis specific spaces, where youth can meet others with their diagnosis and find information and links especially for them.
• The Upopolis team expanded. Now we have four certified child life specialists with over 50 combined years’ experience- that is an amazing team for our partner hospitals and their youth to have access to.
• Upopolis underwent a visual refresh. Yes, the platform now has a new look with five new themes for users to select. The new themes and features were an action item identified by the youth.
• Upopolis youth established their own Youth Advisory Council. Having youth from across the country (and maybe further) working on the same projects- so much potential and expertise!!!!
• We had more youth then ever join the Upopolis Volunteer & Leadership Program. Currently, we have 14 users across the country active on Upopolis as Upals and Umentors. Not only are they gaining volunteer hours, but their leadership and mentor skills are growing too!
• The team hosted an exhibit at the Association of Child Life Professionals Annual Meeting. The team went out to meet with child life professionals outside of Canada to gage their interest in offering Upopolis to their patients. The team also hosted exhibits at the Florida Association of Child Life Professionals Conference and the Paediatric Diabetes Network Professional Development in Toronto, Ontario.
• Each month the team sends 600+ users and health care professional a Upopolis programming newsletter, called Unews. This newsletter helps to keep front line staff at the hospital up to date on what’s happening on Upopolis, perfect for answering youth’s questions or building their knowledge for when inviting youth to create a Upopolis account. It’s a perfect way to help with youth engagement too!

• The Upedia Webinar Series brought in experts in pediatric palliative care, legacy building, mindfulness, research on the importance of online support groups and child advocacy.
• Webinar attendance averaged 200 plus per webinar with attendees from all over the world.
• A new certificate program for webinar participants was implemented that streamlines the certificate process for not only the users but Upedia as well.
• Upedia hosted booth at the Association for Child Life Professionals (ACLP) conference in Las Vegas. The response was overwhelmingly positive. As a result we were featured as an amazing resource by the ACLP blog, and in their newsletter that reaches over 5000 Child Life Specialists!
• Upedia reached over 1000 registered users and growing more every day!
• Twitter followers increased by 180%!
• We sent out a quarterly newsletter and monthly update to highlight new resources and happenings with Upedia to over 1200 recipients.
• Upedia increased its database of resources by adding over 100 clinical resources and tools from various psychosocial domains. We also added a discussion board to highlight practical tools that Child Life Specialists can you use daily.

• We partnered with Raymond James as Umind's Presenting Sponsor
• Further developed our partnership with Mohawk College; increased our student/faculty/alumni registration base, engaged professors in delivering webinars, and presented to staff and faculty in a number of programs within Community Services Department
• Significantly grew the Umind membership base - with an increase of 54% over 2016
• Significantly grew the Umind twitter follower base – with an increase of 63% over 2016
• Completed 5 Umind webinars and increased overall attendance (up 49%) and satisfaction of attendees over 2016
• Focused on ‘hot topic’ areas when building the online resource library (We added 301 new resources in 2017!)
• Held initial conversations with the Dean of Social Services at Conestoga College to discuss how Umind can be used by the college which will continue in 2018

Umind Goals for 2018:

• Increase membership by 80%
• Continue to build our important partnership with Mohawk College; presenting to all Community Services faculty, and engaging at a student level to increase awareness of the platform and the number of those using and benefitting from Umind.
• Continue to expand the Umind resource library – based on topics of interest brought forth by registered members and trends in the child and youth mental health realm