YOUR IMPACT
HEART HEALTH FOR ALL
Through the generous philanthropic support of individuals, businesses, and community events, the Foundation raises funds that power innovative patient care, ground-breaking research, state-of-the-art-equipment, cardiovascular prevention & rehabilitation patient programs, and education.
When you invest in the University of Ottawa Heart Institute through the Foundation, you fuel ground-breaking research, education, and innovative patient care. Your contributions will provide the tools and science needed to treat, and eventually eradicate cardiovascular disease.
Nationally, UOHI is a top cardiac institute and recognized global leader in cutting-edge research.
STEMI program
2025 marks the 20th anniversary of our innovative life-saving STEMI program. More than 10,000 patients have been treated. This model was researched and created in Ottawa reducing deaths by almost half.
Watch to learn more about Dr. Le May and the trail-blazing STEMI program, now recognized and replicated around the globe.
David Renfroe
David suffered from a STEMI heart attack and almost didn’t return to his beloved wife, Rebecca. Arriving at the Institute, Dr. Derek So informed him that he had less than twenty minutes to perform a life-saving procedure so that this husband and father could have a chance of survival.
Watch David’s story today.
Kevin Ryan
Joel Haslam introduces us to Kevin Ryan, an avid curler who had never expected a health crisis on the ice. His friends and fellow players, including a former nurse, acted quickly using a lifesaving automated external defibrillator (AED) to bring Kevin back to life.
KRYSTAL CLARKE'S SECOND ACT
Krystal Clarke beat the odds despite life’s hardships. A few years ago, doctors thought that she would need a heart transplant after going into heart failure. Krystal had lived through years of chronic stress, then job loss, leading to her living in her car. Today she leads a completely different life and is considered on the road to heart health thanks to a supportive environment, new habits, and the care of the Heart Institute.
MAN NGUYEN STORY
When we take a wrong turn, we often rely on our GPS to help guide us safely to an alternative route. This process is similar to what happened to Man Nguyen’s heart. Over a decade, new connections were formed through his heart’s natural ability to heal itself, detouring around blockages.
Man was completely unaware that this his body was coping in this way, even as he went on his daily run.
CARHA HOCKEY & UOHI
Award winning storyteller Joel Haslam introduces you to the Silver Streaks, a recreational hockey team comprised of veteran players devoted to their sport. Hear from Mike Peski, the President of CARHA; Marc Laflamme, a physiotherapist with University of Ottawa Heart Institute; and Paul Bodnoff, President of the UOHI Alumni Board.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- Please consider a donation of any amount.
- Attend a Heart Institute Foundation signature event.
- Light the Capital Red.
- Host or join a community event.
- Fundraise with heart.
There are many ways to support the work of the Institute funded through life-saving generosity. Donor dollars provide the seed funding vital for research and future breakthroughs.
Where your donations go:
- Groundbreaking research
- Innovative patient programs
- Upgrades in cutting-edge equipment, technology
- Infrastructure needed for a growing and complex patient population
- Staff training
- Life-saving prevention and education both onsite and in the community.
Stats & Facts: University of Ottawa Heart Institute 2024-25
- Providing specialized cardiac care to nearly 2 million people
- 248,882 Patient visits
- 82%+ Patient satisfaction score.
- 69,749 Diagnostic tests.
- 12,619 Non-surgical interventions.
- 2,116 Open-heart and catheter-based procedures
- 1,637 Pacemaker and defibrillator implantations
Your support will have a lasting impact on people in our community — by changing and saving lives.
See Your Impact
Indispensable community support like yours
has touched so many lives over the years.
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE LIVES CHANGED BY COMMUNITY SUPPORT LIKE YOURS
The Viau Family
Cheryl Burford
Cody McKay