About the Society
The Society
The Canadian Hemochromatosis Society is a registered non-profit charitable society, founded by Marie Warder in 1980.
The Society is financially supported through fundraising activities, donations, membership fees, legacy gifts, corporate sponsorship and provincial government grants. This support funds six programs run by the Society:
Program 1: Client Support
The purpose of this program is to address questions and concerns of clients who have symptoms that can be attributed to hemochromatosis, suspect a diagnosis of hemochromatosis, have been undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, effectively diagnosed, have family members who have recently been diagnosed, or who have been managing their hemochromatosis for a while and have new issues.
Program 2: Health Care Professionals Referral Network
The purpose of this program is to help clients find knowledgeable physicians or other health care professionals who can help them receive the best route of care for testing, diagnosis and treatment for their hemochromatosis.
Program 3: Community Outreach
The purpose of this program is to raise awareness and provide information about hemochromatosis amongst the public. Individuals and families will recognize their risk for iron overload and ask their doctors for proper testing, thereby leading to early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the potential complications, disease and early death when hemochromatosis is otherwise unrecognized and untreated.
Program 4: Annual Awareness Month
The purpose of this program is to highlight the prevalence of hemochromatosis amongst the general public through a concentrated series of awareness activities and events within the month of May.
Program 5: Health Care Professionals Awareness and Information
Health care professionals can facilitate early diagnosis by maintaining a high index of suspicion in patients with early symptoms and in high risk groups by screening these patients for hemochromatosis. The purpose of this program is to foster awareness amongst the health care professionals so that they will consider a diagnosis of hemochromatosis in patients who present with hemochromatosis-related signs and symptoms.
Program 6: Volunteer and Chapter Development
The purpose of this program is to recruit volunteers and train, equip and assign them to program activities. In addition, the purpose is to maintain, establish and grow Volunteer Regional Chapters throughout the country to enable the Society to operate its programs and activities within every community.
Objectives and Mandate
Hemochromatosis is known to be the most common genetic disorder affecting Canadians. Its complications, caused by iron overload, are crippling and potentially fatal. They are also preventable by early diagnosis and treatment.
The goals and activities of the Society are directed to increasing awareness among the Canadian public and the medical community in regard to the importance of early screening for and diagnosis of hemochromatosis, while supporting those affected by it. In this way, we hope to relieve unnecessary suffering and premature death from undiagnosed hemochromatosis.
Charitable Status
The Canadian Hemochromatosis Society is a registered charitable organization.
The charitable number for the CHS in Canada is 11921 9160 R0001.