Front Line May 2014

Volume 27
Issue 1
New Identity Launch
Spring 2014
Dear Community Members and Friends of AIDS
Thunder Bay:
Inside this issue:
Fundraising News
2
Fundraising con’t.
3
Community Development
4
Client Services Update
5
News from the Volunteer
Department
6
Here and There...
7
Parting glance
8
Insert
1&2
We are trying to save on printing
and postage costs. If you are still
receiving this newsletter by mail
we would appreciate it if you could
send us your email address. We will
send you an email letting you know
when future newsletters are
available online or on our website.
Thank you so much for helping us
out with this!
No more this:
It is with great pride that we will be launching
AIDS Thunder Bay’s NEW identity! It all begins
with a sign unveiling and a ceremony from 2-4
on May 20th at the front of the building. There
will be a brief speech from our Board Chair and
the grand unveiling will take place shortly after.
A small ceremony will take place after to
recognize the significance of the name change
and to recognize the new direction the
organization is taking.
Next, we have a Gala Launch taking place on
May 21 in the main ballroom at the Victoria Inn
from 5-8. The name will be unveiled to the
public and a reintroduction of services will take
place at that time. Come by for appetizers and
a chance to see the new name and be among
the first to get a sneak peak at the new social
media campaign.
While we are excited to launch the new name
and the new direction of the agency, it is
important to recognize that the name AIDS
Thunder Bay and the people who worked under
that name have served this community faithfully
and well for more than a decade. We would not
be at this point without their dedication.
We hope to see you all at the launch!
Just this:
Sincerely yours,
Holly Gauvin
Executive Director
Fundraising Activities
A big thank you to all of our A Taste For Life
participating restaurants. Your generous support is greatly appreciated. Thank you also
to our sponsors, Investors Group and Magic
99.9. The winner of the “Dinner & a Movie”
door prize was Trevor Hamalainen.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
574 Memorial Avenue
The Annual Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life is our single largest
fundraising event. Consider joining either as an individual or as
part of a team. There will be prizes for the top three walkers and
the top team.
Our AIDS Walk will be on Thursday evening, September 18,
followed by a barbecue. Call your family and friends and have
them join you in walking for a good cause.
Watch for more information about the Walk and the prizes in our
August newsletter.
Here are some of the reasons people are participating in our AIDS Walk:





The pledges you collect stay in our community
Hundreds of individuals and families are affected by this disease
An hour of your life means a lifetime to someone else
Every pledge collected and step taken helps someone in our community with HIV/AIDS.
It’s easier to turn your back but more rewarding to give
In person and online registration will be available within the next few weeks!
www.aidswalkforlife.org/ThunderBay.htm
Page 2
BINGO
IN SUPPORT OF
Monday May 19th 1:00 pm
Thursday May 29th 1:00 pm
Tuesday June 24th 1:00pm
425 Northern Avenue, CLE grounds
Come on out and support our programs and services!
Waffle Breakfast
A huge thank you goes out to Vinay Kapoor, Shoppers
Drug Mart, Red River Road location. We really appreciate
your support of our annual Waffle Breakfast. Your generosity
in supplying all the materials required to make the event a
success was fabulous! Thanks to you, many people were able to enjoy waffles with blueberry or strawberry
sauce, as well as coffee, tea or juice. Thanks again. You are a wonderful community partner.
A Taste For Life
A big thank you also goes out to Investors Group for their support of the A Taste For Life dining out event
fundraiser. With your help we were able to get new local restaurants involved in this great event. Thank you.
You understand what it means to be a community partner. Thanks to Magic 99.9 as well.
Blood2Blood
The Blood2Blood Project is still actively developing resources on hepatitis C awareness. The latest project, to be launched for
World Hepatitis Day in July, is our safe tattooing video. ATB's own Michelle Gentile
hosts a tour of the Underground Ink tattoo
studio with artist Scott Bond to learn what
people should look out for when getting a
tattoo. As tattoos gain in popularity, our
hope is that through this fun and informative video, people will have a better understanding of what questions to ask and what to consider before getting one. You can view the video
from a link on our project website: www.blood2blood.org
We are also pleased to report that the project has gotten an extension to keep developing and producing resources through 2017.
Eric Shih
Blood2Blood Project Coordinator
Page 3
Community Development
It has been an honour and a privilege to have worked for AIDS Thunder Bay, an agency that lives its slogan, “service without judgment”. I have had the opportunity to work with the best individuals that a person could possible work for and with. I have
experienced tremendous personal growth in the past six years and I am very grateful for AIDS Thunder Bay for this.
I started working at AIDS Thunder Bay in 2008 as the Education Coordinator. I was filling the shoes of David Belrose who
was one of the founding members of AIDS Thunder Bay and who was in that position for around two decades. Those were huge
shoes to fill. I knew I could never do all that David did. I confess that during those first months I felt more than a little inadequate
as I was developing my own niche in this field. All I could do was to do my best and learn as much as I could about this work. I
attended conferences near and far. I learned the history and so many facts and numbers that they were hard to keep straight. The
basic information was quickly gathered and became part of my repertoire. I did presentations and learned what worked and sometimes what didn’t work so well. What took longer to learn was that this work is about many things. It is about fighting stigma and
discrimination. It is about social injustices. It is about the lives of some of the most marginalized of our society, many who struggle
with addictions, poverty and mental health issues. I found myself working with clients who live a totally different life from mine. I
have been blessed with the privilege of my upbringing and I think working in this field has helped me to at least recognize this fact
and do something positive with it.
Anybody can be infected with HIV. It is not a disease limited to a certain segment of society. Young or old, male or female,
rich or poor, well-educated or not, any ethnicity etc., no one is immune. Education was the key back when the pandemic started
and it remains one of the keys today. Almost every presentation I ever made ended with my appeal for those in attendance to
share this information with their friends, families and loved ones. As I slip into retirement, I ask you to get informed about HIV AIDS
and share the information. Stay safe, together we can end the spread of HIV and see a world without HIV/AIDS.
Bob Manson
Former Director Education and Community Development
AIDS Thunder Bay
Opening Doors HIV/AIDS Counselling Conference
Hosted by AIDS Thunder Bay
Keeping the Conversation Going
Wednesday May 21 and Thursday May 22, 2014
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Victoria Inn Thunder Bay 555 West Arthur Street
Registration Fee: $50
Fee includes breakfast, lunch and nutrition breaks both days as well as all conference materials.
Registration fee must be paid prior to the conference. Attendance will not be confirmed until registration fee is received.
Workshops and Sessions Include:
A full afternoon of "Navigating the System: A Conversation with Service Providers
HIV/ HCV 101- optional workshop
Ethics: Pitfalls and Opportunities in Social Media - presenter Dr. Keely Kolmes
Harm Reduction...Expanded
AIDS Thunder Bay will also be hosting a Gala Reception to launch their new name. The reception will be
held on Wednesday May 21st, 2014 from 5 pm - 8 pm in the Victoria Inn Ballroom.
Contact: Kari Chiappetta
kcconsulting@shaw.ca 807-621-6225
Page 4
Client Services Update
Hepatitis C’s Impact – Head to Toe
Source: http://www.hepatitiscentral.com/mt/archives/2014/01/hepatitis-cs-impact-from-head-to-toe.html
Hepatitis C (HCV) is an infectious virus that targets the liver but HCV can also affect other parts of the body. Because we don’t normally associate the following disorders with the liver, we may not make the connection between Hep C
and other health issues.
Research has found 70 to 74 % of those with Hep C experience illnesses that affect organs other than the liver. In the
interests of staying as healthy as possible, this article lists 7 other areas that can be impacted when the liver is battling HCV.
Brain – When HCV causes enough liver damage to impair its ability to filter blood, toxins build up in the bloodstream.
Accumulated toxicity can damage the central nervous system and impair brain function. Known as hepatic encephalopathy, symptoms may include confusion, forgetfulness, poor concentration, personality changes, tremors, agitation, disorientation, slurred speech and, in very severe cases, coma.
Eyes – Although the link isn’t too clear, HCV increases vulnerability to eye troubles. Sialadenitis, an inflammatory disease
causing dry mouth and eyes, has been associated with HCV. The autoimmune disease, Sjogren’s Syndrome, also causes
dry eyes and mouth.
Thyroid – Part of the endocrine system, the thyroid gland delivers hormones into the bloodstream. In some cases, HCV results in the immune system mistakenly injuring the thyroid – causing either over- activity (hyperthyroidism) or underactivity (hypothyroidism). Hypothyroidism can make you sluggish and cold while hyperthyroidism can cause nervousness
and rapid heartbeat.
Joints and Muscles – It is common for HCV to affect muscles, joints and connective tissue. The joint and muscle complications of HCV occur our immune system is fighting the virus. Perhaps the most common cause of HCV-related joint and
muscle pain is rheumatoid arthritis, a painful condition involving inflammation of the synovial joints (shoulder, elbow,
wrist/hand & feet).
Digestion – Because the liver plays an important role in the digestive system, many people with HCV suffer upset stomach,
diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Even those not undergoing treatment are vulnerable to digestive issues. While we
should always consult a physician about such symptoms, digestive problems may be relieved by taking probiotic supplements.
High Blood Sugar – Healthy livers help convert sugars into glucose and store it for energy. Too much sugar in the blood can
lead to insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. Part of a group of health problems called metabolic syndrome, high blood
sugar is frequently accompanied by obesity, high blood pressure and a fatty liver. Eating low glycemic index foods and
exercising regularly are the best ways to avoid high blood sugar.
Hands and Feet – A painful condition affecting blood vessels in the fingers, toes, ears and nose, Raynaud’s phenomenon
causes blood vessels in the extremities to narrow. Another possible HCV extrahepatic 1 ailment called cryoglobulinaemia,
is a blood disorder caused by abnormal proteins clumping together when blood is chilled. 30 % of people with HCVrelated cryoglobulinaemia may also have Raynaud’s phenomenon. Preventing this problem is best achieved by quitting
smoking, exercising regularly and keeping out of extremely cold temperatures.
HCV can wreak havoc just about everywhere in the body. These seven body areas don’t represent every possible target for
HCV, but they cover a lot of extrahepatic problems. Depending on where your vulnerability lies, consider expanding your
Hep C wellness routines. Whether you notice confusion, forgetfulness, metabolic syndrome, sluggishness, diarrhea and nausea, cold extremities or inflamed joints, nutritional supplements and/or lifestyle adjustments can ease the many additional
burdens of Hep C.
Submitted by Annie Jollymore
“Community Developer”
1
Extrahepatic: “occurring or happening outside the liver”
Page 5
News from the Volunteer Dept.
Here’s what’s
happening in the
coming months:
Opening Doors
Counselling
Conference—May 2122
 AGM and Volunteer
Appreciation—June 25
 AIDS Walk—Thurs.
Sept. 18
If you would like to
volunteer for any of these
events, please call Selly at
345-1516.

Thank you to all our volunteers who have given
so much over the past
year. We really appreciate
all you have done.
Our annual Waffle Breakfast was moved to March this year and we celebrated St.
Patrick’s Day. No, there were no green waffles or green coffee, not even green tea.
Thanks to the hard work of a great team of volunteers it went over well. The Waffle Breakfast was not quite as busy as usual, but was still a very fun day, staffed
by an army of volunteers.
Tag Day on the Easter weekend went very well also thanks to our friends at the
LCBO and the brave volunteers who were out there on a snowy, wet, cool day. It
was another busy and very successful day with 25 volunteers out greeting people
and asking them to support the Red Ribbon Campaign.
And the A Taste For Life dining out on April 23rd was another delicious event. It
was attended by numerous happy diners at restaurants all over the city. Many
thanks to the restaurants who were involved: Bistro One, Fox on the Run, Ling
Lee’s PA Curling Club, and The Blue Door Bistro. Huge thanks also to Blossoms
Fresh Fruit Arrangements. And many thanks to Investors Group for their support
and for recruiting the new restaurants.
These successes were due to the hard work of many volunteers. Thank you to all of
you who were involved. It’s always a pleasure and a lot of fun to work with you.
Coming up next will be the Opening Doors Counselling Conference May 21 and 22,
our Annual General Meeting and Silent Auction on June 25 and the annual AIDS
Walk For Life on Thursday, September 18th beginning at 5:30. I’ll be calling for
volunteers for these events—unless you call me first and let me know you want to
volunteer.
We are trying something new for Volunteer Appreciation this year and having it in
conjunction with the AGM. You will receive your invitation in late May or early
June.
Selly Pajamaki, Coordinator of Volunteer Services
Attention all clients,
volunteers and visitors
to the AIDS Thunder
Bay office. We are a
‘scent-free’
building.
Please do not wear
colognes,
perfumes,
aftershave, or scented
makeup or hairspray
when
visiting
our
premises.
They have
been known to cause
allergic reactions for
staff,
clients
and
volunteers. Some scented
fabric softeners have
also caused reactions.
Page 6
ENTHUSIASTIC VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
ATB is seeking volunteers to assist with the new format of bingo fundraisers that
will begin in the fall. Bingos run approximately twice a month, usually afternoons, but sometimes also evenings, This volunteer position involves running
the bingo office and requires being able to meet the public and handle money.
Time requirement is approximately 2 hours for each bingo.
If you are interested in this exciting volunteer opportunity, call
Selly at 345-1516 ext 212
Here and There...
New Staff at AIDS Thunder Bay
Hello everyone! My name is Allison Anderson and I am the new
HCV treatment nurse. Previously
an Emergency Department RN, I
am enjoying the new knowledge
and challenges this position has
presented me with. I would like to
thank you all for the warm welcome and look forward to meeting
and working with everyone involved with AIDS Thunder Bay.
Mother’s Cupboard Food Bank
At this time I would like to thank our sponsers (Holsom
Bakery) for their wonderful generosity at the time of year
it meant the most. Because of all your support and caring
hearts we were able to give everyone we had on our
Christmas list a wonderful basket of food that they could
enjoy. So I surely would like to say thank you very much
and I look forward to working with you in 2014.
Wayne Amirault (Food Security Worker)
For Information About AIDS or HIV Infection:
Call the AIDS Hotline at 1-800-668-2437
About Superior Points:
Call 624-2005, 625-8830 or 625-8831
About Anonymous HIV Testing in Thunder Bay
Call 625-5981 or 624-2000
About Regular HIV Testing
Call the Sexual Health Clinics 625-5976 or 6242000
About Counselling or Referrals
Call AIDS Thunder Bay 345-1516
About HIV/AIDS/Hep C Treatment Information
Call Catie (Community AIDS Treatment
Information Exchange) 1-800-263-1638
About Legal Issues
Call the HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
(HALCO), Tel.416-340-7790/1-888-705-8889
Service bilingue disponible
ALL CALLS CONFIDENTIAL
Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Youth Program in partnership with the Boys
and Girls Club
Rob Davey (Outreach Worker) and I (Michelle Gentile,
Case Manager) started a partnership with the Boys &
Girls Club back in November 2012. Every Friday night
we go and do various presentations including: HIV/
AIDS, Hepatitis C, harm reduction, safe sex and life
skills. These presentations are done for teens ages 14-17
years old. We also do a fun activity for each month. For
the month of April we decided to go bowling and have a
pizza party.
Each week the numbers of
teens are constantly growing, we have had up to 25
teens in one night. It’s been
a great partnership and we
look forward to many more
exciting topics to talk about
and exciting events to plan
in the near future.
CATIE
Community AIDS Treatment Information Exchange
1-800-263-1638
HIV/AIDS Treatment Information
email: info@catie.ca
internet: www.catie.ca
The opinions and medical information offered by
“Front Line” are those of the individual authors and
not necessarily those of the staff and Board of
Directors of AIDS Thunder Bay. Medical information
offered should be used at your own discretion. Please
consult your doctor.
Please address any comments or concerns to:
Front Line
574 Memorial Ave.
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 3Z2
Or, e-mail us at: info@aidsthunderbay.org
Visit us on the internet at: www.aidsthunderbay.org
Page 7
Parting Glance
Take the Time to Take the Test
Free confidential testing for HIV, Hepatitis C, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Pregnancy every
Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY
The Testing Clinic is a partnership between the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and AIDS Thunder Bay. All
services are free, confidential and offered on a firstcome first-served basis.
The testing clinic takes place every Thursday morning
from 9:30-11:30 at 574 Memorial Ave.
Need a ride? Call 345-1516 on Thursday morning and
ask for the volunteer driver.
One-to-one Naloxone Training is also available during
the testing clinic.
AIDS Thunder Bay Board of Directors
Carol Bamford
Fran Dutli
Maureen Kahn
Carol Nicholson
Sandra Russell
AIDS Thunder Bay Staff
Allison Anderson
Wayne Amirault
Joanne Clark
Mike Croft
Rob Davey
Holly Gauvin
Michelle Gentile
Bonnie Hari
Christina Henry
Annie Jollymore
Vacant
Tracey MacKinnon
Tara Osment
Selly Pajamaki
Leeann Ryder
Eric Shih
Dave Veneruzzo
Fred Young
Fred Young &
Annie Jollymore
Hepatitis C Treatment Nurse
Food Security Worker
Dir. Of Finance & Resources
Outreach Worker
Outreach Worker
Executive Director
Case Worker
Receptionist
Hepatitis C Treatment Nurse
Hep C & IDU Com. Developer
Dir. Of Community Dev.
Program Support Assistant
Case Worker
Coordinator of Vol. Services
Program Support Assistant
Blood-to-Blood Proj. Coord.
Dir. Of Client Services
Treatment & Intake Worker
Education/Support Grp Facil.
Front Line Contributors
The Amazing Liver
March was Liver Awareness Month. The Blood-to
-Blood Project circulated a flyer entitled “The
Amazing Liver.” Those who read the entire flyer
discovered that there was a contest they could enter for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Congratulations to our winner, Myrna E., pictured below along
with Annie Jollymore, our Hep C & IDU Community
Developer.
Nancee Day
Dennis Eeles
Lyn McInnis
Ruth Racic
Brent Trudell
Selly Pajamaki
Editor
ATB staff & volunteers
AIDS Thunder Bay acknowledges and
thanks our various funders:

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - AIDS
Bureau and Hepatitis C Secretariat

Public Health Agency of Canada, Ontario Region
(ACAP)
And all of the people involved in general fundraising and the
support of many local businesses and individuals
Page 8
Hep C Drug Pipeline: New Additions and Three Combos
to Watch for in 2014
January 2, 2014
Nicole Cutler L.Ac.
A handy guide to show which drugs are available now and who the top contenders are for an anticipated
2014, interferon-free, Hepatitis C cure.
Analysts believe that 2014 will be a tremendous year for advancements in Hepatitis C therapy. Excitement is
growing as we inch closer to approval for an improved, highly effective, safer drug combination that experts
say could cure many people of Hepatitis C.
For the most common strain in the U.S., Hepatitis C genotype 1, the current standard therapy generally combines three drugs:



pegylated interferon
Ribavirin
a direct acting antiviral (DAA)
Direct acting antivirals are medications that attack the ability of the Hepatitis C virus to replicate. Different
DAA’s interfere with the Hepatitis C replication cycle at different stages. Telaprevir (Incevik) and boceprevir
(Victrelis) are protease inhibitors – one type of DAA. Although adding one of these protease inhibitors to interferon and ribavirin treatment boosts treatment success from 50 percent up to 75 percent effectiveness, they
are both associated with some extremely distressing side effects including anemia, rash, anal itching and rectal
burning.
The greatest promise for improved treatment regimens lies with an interferon-free Hepatitis C drug protocol.
Primarily because interferon is associated with so many severe side effects, the race for an approved, interferon-free, Hepatitis C regimen is heated. Interferon-free regimens are expected to have a higher success rate, be
Front Line
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better tolerated and enable treatment of people who cannot take interferon. The most substantial breakthroughs for Hepatitis C treatment seem to revolve around DAA cocktails, with drug resistance posing the
biggest challenge. Hence, experts believe a cure lurks in finding just the right mixture of DAA’s without
interferon.
At the end of 2013, two new DAA’s were approved, both of which were approved by the FDA in conjunction with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for treating Hepatitis C genotype 1. They are:
1. Olysio (simeprevir) – Approved by the FDA in November 2013, simeprevir is an NS3/4A protease inhibitor made by Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Simeprevir requires 12 weeks of triple therapy and 12 weeks of
double therapy (just interferon and ribavirin). With an effectiveness of around 80 percent, simeprevir’s
main side effect is rash and photosensitivity.
2. Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) – Approved by the FDA in December 2013, sofosbuvir is a polymerase inhibitor
made by Gilead Sciences. Sofosbuvir requires just 12 weeks of treatment and has an estimated 90 percent
success rate.
Unfortunately, both simeprevir and sofosbuvir are currently dependent on interferon for treating Hepatitis C
genotype 1.
Three of the interferon-free, DAA drug combinations that are currently in Phase III trials at the end of 2013
include:
1. Abbott/Enanta Combo – This triple combination involves ABT-450 (a protease inhibitor), ABT-267 (an
NS5A inhibitor) and ABT-333 (a polymerase inhibitor). Preliminary results indicate after 12 weeks with
ribavirin, 96 percent of treatment-experienced patients with genotype 1 had a successful outcome.
2. Boehringer Ingelheim – Boehringer Ingelheim’s faldaprevir (protease inhibitor) and deleobuvir
(polymerase inhibitor) are also combined with ribavirin in Phase III trials. Faldaprevir has proven to be effective against a relatively common, yet troublesome, Hepatitis C variant known as the Q80K mutant.
While Phase II trials delivered success rates around 85 percent (even on patients with cirrhosis), interim
results for the Phase III trials have not been made public yet.
3. Gilead – Sofosbuvir (polymerase inhibitor) was just approved by the FDA in December 2013 in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, but it is also in an interferon-free Phase III trial with ledipasvir (NS5A inhibitor). Without interferon or ribavirin, preliminary results demonstrate that sofosbuvir and
ledipasvir have cure rates well over 90 percent in as few as 8 weeks. A previous study of sofosbuvir, ledipasvir and ribavirin showed a 100 percent Hepatitis C success rate.
While there are many more drug combinations being studied, these three appear to be the most advanced as
we start the New Year. Many people have chosen to wait until better Hepatitis C treatment options become
available, and it seems that 2014 might be ushering in those improvements. With the right combination of
DAA’s, a safe, effective treatment without interferon appears close. We expect great things from Abbott
and Enanta, Boehringer Ingelheim and Gilead (as well as a long list of other potential contenders), and are
looking forward to turning the corner on Hepatitis C – so it can officially be rendered a curable illness.
© 2014 Hepatitis Central. This work is reproduced with the permission of the Editors at Hepatitis-Central.
www.HepatitisCentral.org
What an exciting time we are entering into with hepatitis C treatment! To clarify a few statements in the article, we
are not entirely dependent on the use of interferon with the newly approved Sofosbuvir as it is suitable for all genoFront Line
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