“If no one donated plasma or blood and the Héma-Québec Foundation didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have access to the life I’m living today.”

Lili-Anne

/ Plasma donor education and recruitment program

Lili-Anne’s story

Lili-Anne Tellier is an inspiring young woman, generous and devoted. From the time she was born 18 years ago, she’s lived with a diagnosis of common variable immunodeficiency. The disease means that Lili-Anne doesn’t have enough antibodies to protect herself if a virus or microbe attacks her body. The illness also robs her of her energy. She’s not always able to get through a full day at school, and her teachers sometimes need to call her parents to come pick her up.

Her healthcare team assumed that her illness would be temporary, that it would go away over time, so she didn’t receive treatment until she was five. It was only when she was six that Lili-Anne and her family learned that her immunodeficiency would always be part of her life, and she started to receive intravenous immunoglobulin, the antibodies found in plasma. Every month, she goes to the hospital to receive transfusions, a process that lasts eight hours.

Lili-Anne describes herself as a young woman with a full life, not limited by her illness. She has two big passions that take up a lot of space in her heart, and she feels lucky to be able to devote herself to them.

Her first passion is synchronized skating. She trains five times a week to be able to compete, and is so thankful to the plasma donors who make the treatments she receives possible.

Three years ago, when she was taking part in the Canadian championships for the first time, Lili-Anne was touched to realize how lucky she was to have access to treatment. Because her event was shared on social media, a woman with a similar immunodeficiency was able to find and reach out to Lili-Anne. She told her that she hadn’t been able to participate in major competitions in her day, because the treatments Lili-Anne was receiving weren’t yet available. She was so happy to see Lili-Anne pursuing her passion without any limitations.

Her second passion is music. Able to play many instruments, including the piano, she has participated in several festivals including the Jazz Festival. She has had the opportunity to travel internationally through her love of music. Without treatment, she would never have been able to fly or stay in a hotel without fear of getting sick.

Your donations
allow Lili-Ann
to enjoy life.

Education and
recruitment of plasma donors /

Goal

1 250 000$

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