About Us

The primary goals of HeartLinks Manitoba are to promote organ and tissue donor awareness, and to provide information and support for its members.

Heartlinks Manitoba is indebted to Larry and Jill Tardiff and to Dr. Shelley Zieroth for providing an impetus to initiate a group in Manitoba. Larry had a heart transplant in November, 2006.  Larry, his wife Jill and Dr. Zieroth, Director of the Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Clinics were the catalysts in establishing the beginnings of HeartLinks Manitoba. Larry passed away on March 22, 2007.  In October 2007, Dr. Zieroth, Shari Barker (Transplant and LVAD Coordinator Nurse) and Jill Tardiff organized a meeting with several people with heart  transplants in order to revisit establishing the group. An interim board was created for the purpose of establishing a formal, non-profit Heartlinks Manitoba organization.  There were six board members and Dr. Zieroth and Shari Barker were the Ex-officio members. Along with pursuing a formal structure, the interim board organized a Christmas get together on December 13, 2007.  Thirty people attended that day which was -30 with the windchill and blowing snow.  Some braved the blustery conditions coming from Portage la Prairie and Grand Beach!  The board developed a Constitution and registered Heartlinks Manitoba under the Corporations Act of Manitoba. We have grown from a small group of six members to approximately 80 members.  The board meets approximately eight times a year and continues to work at finding opportunities to promote donor awareness as well as hosting supportive/informational sessions for its members.