BIB student Emily Tieu receives Governor General Caring Canadian Award
Emily Tieu is in her first year of the Bachelor of International Business program at the Sprott School of Business, but she has been running an annual charity event since she was just seven years old. On November 9, Emily was recognized by the Governor General with a Caring Canadian Award for the positive impact she has had on the lives of others.
“When I was young, I developed an interest in fundraising,” says Emily. “So I asked my mom, ‘what can I do?’ I held my first garage sale and it all stemmed from there.”
When she was in the first grade, Emily decided she wanted to organize a fundraiser to support cancer research. Her mother learned of a family in their hometown of Ottawa whose son had a rare disorder and were hosting a garage sale to raise funds for research to find a cure for sialidosis, a fatal enzyme disorder that causes a build-up of toxins in the body.
When Emily learned that Tyler Huneault, who was a year younger than herself, was the only person in North America with sialidosis, she was determined to help.
She organized her own charity garage sale and hand delivered the $91 she raised to Tyler and his family. Emily turned the garage sale into an annual event, growing it larger every year.
“When I met Tyler, he was five year old at the time and he was really well spoken,” says Emily. “After that, I couldn’t not do it.”
To date, she has raised over $90,000 which has supported sialidosis research at McMaster University by Dr. Suleiman Igdoura.
Emily says Tyler has endured a lot over the years as a result of having sialidosis, from broken bones to dialysis and a kidney transplant.
“Tyler keeps me motivated. He is such a nice guy and very smart,” says Emily. “Now that we’ve come this far, we can’t let it go.”
Emily recently learned of another young girl in Germany who also has sialidosis and she travelled to Munich last March to meet her.
After 11 years, Emily is looking to replace the garage sale event with other fundraising vehicles that could generate greater proceeds for sialidosis research and support for the two families.
For anyone wanting to support this cause, Emily says they always accept donations but there are also other ways to help. To learn more, contact Emily by e-mail.
About the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award
Created in 1995, the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award recognizes individuals who volunteer their time to help others and to build a smarter and more caring nation. The award also highlights the fine example set by these volunteers, whose compassion and engagement are so much a part of our Canadian character.