Tracie Napoli:
Osteoporosis Canada was the first organisation, actually in the world, to come together on bone health and osteoporosis, and we are the only national organisation in Canada helping people who are at risk, or who have been diagnosed with the disease.

Gerry C:
I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in the summer of 2008. I was disturbed by it, because I thought I had taken reasonable steps with my health, exercise, eating properly, that sort of thing.

Tracie Napoli:
Osteoporosis is a disease; it affects your bones, it’s something where it can happen very slowly and quietly over a long period of time. You can’t feel it happening, you can’t see it, and then something as simple as a sneeze can shatter your bones.

Gerry C:
I have to be very careful where I walk, watch out for a sidewalk, make sure the sidewalk is even. I could trip and then I could have a fall.

Tracie Napoli:
Often times people don’t think it is a disease, and they think it’s a natural part of ageing. They think, oh, you’re getting older, it’s just what’s going to happen, and that’s actually not the case.

Gerry C:
A lot of people have the misconception that osteoporosis is a disease that affects only women, but that’s not true. More and more men are being diagnosed with osteoporosis, and young men, even people who are athletically inclined.

Tracie Napoli:
We provide education, we provide support, we strategically invest in research. We don’t only support the patient and their families, but we also support healthcare professionals.

Gerry C:
Without the help of Osteoporosis Canada, I believe I would have lived a more constricted life. I’d be afraid to go out, I’d be afraid to take long walks.

Tracie Napoli:
Donor dollars are so important to our organisation, it’s how we make things happen. Federated Health Charities is a wonderful partner; they allow us to extend our reach in the province of Ontario by giving people information about what Osteoporosis Canada does, and how they can help us continue with our mission and vision.

Gerry C:
The donors who make contributions to this charity have helped a lot. They’ve helped with the programs, they’ve helped with information. They don’t realise how far their contributions go to help people with osteoporosis, to help people like me.

Tracie Napoli:
We appreciate everyone’s contribution, but when somebody can donate so that we receive funds on a consistent basis, it helps us be able to plan for the needs that we have to meet.

So by giving through a payroll deduction, you’re giving us the opportunity to know where we need to spend our dollars and to plan accordingly. And that, in itself, is so valuable.

Gerry C:
And you don’t realise it, but you’re helping people in your own family. You may even be helping yourself someday.

Tracie Napoli:
We all want to say thank you. From Osteoporosis Canada to those who have donated in the past, those who continue to donate in the present, and those who will donate, together we will help make Canadians unbreakable.