Help Katie raise money

This October, I’ll be running the 5K at the Royal Victoria Marathon to raise funds for the Victoria Brain Injury Society (VBIS) again this year!

While I haven’t experienced a traumatic brain injury, many people know that I have a history with small brain hemorrhages. When I was 18, I had a larger bleed that left me with weeks of double vision. Just after finishing my first year of university, another bleed caused permanent double vision — that’s when I was diagnosed with a midbrain cavernoma.

Over the next few years, I had a series of brain bleeds that changed everything. I struggled to walk, to focus my thoughts, and of course, to see clearly. I rocked an eyepatch and a walking stick in my second year of university! Always a fashion icon!

Rehab in Vancouver helped me rebuild — from fine motor skills to walking to relearning everyday tasks. In 2022, after 2 years of stability I was a candidate for eye surgery to help with my double vision! Unfortunately I have had a minor setback and two very small bleeds - one at the end of 2025 and the other at the beginning of 2026. I am now on the waitlist for another surgery. 

I know how lucky I am to be here, healthy enough to take on this 5K. Nine years ago, I could never have imagined doing this. My goal is to finish it and slightly faster than last year!

Not everyone is so lucky. Many people living with brain injuries have it so much worse than I do. They can face lifelong challenges and need ongoing support. That’s where VBIS comes in. They provide vital programs, counselling, advocacy, and community to help survivors rebuild their lives.

Your donation will make a real difference — funding the programs, resources, and hope that brain injury survivors and their families need. Please join me in supporting VBIS so they can continue changing lives.