Meet Bianca, a participant in the Stroll for Liver since 2011, something you too can be part of by registering today. For her it’s not just professional, but personal.

A Canadian Liver Foundation Regional Coordinator, this Manitoban mother of two was the recipient of a liver transplant at 18 months old, having begun life with biliary atresia – a malfunction of the bile ducts.

Doctors first tried the Kasai procedure to reroute her ducts, but a transplant was needed or Bianca may not have lived to see her 2nd birthday. Happily, a match came in time, and Bianca emerged as someone who would ultimately become a champion of liver health.

She recalls hurdles growing up: multiple visits to her Toronto medical team, self-consciousness around her large stomach scar, and, in high school, resisting teen peer pressure to drink alcohol. But she carried on.

She’s grateful for the education and support the CLF provided for her family as they took time off to care for Bianca and her younger brother Dalsin.

Dalsin has since passed away from non-liver-related issues, but did suffer from hepatitis C for a time – prompting Bianca to name her Stroll group Team Pengally (her maiden name) in part to honour him.

Besides being a regional point person for the Stroll, Bianca rallies her family and friends yearly for the event, adding her own twist on Stroll activities like gym workouts and this year, kayaking Manitoba’s beautiful bodies of water.

This year’s Stroll will be virtual, and welcomes you to take part in your own way (any physical activity counts) and to join the national celebration on August 28. For Bianca, the Stroll is more than a job, it’s a way to honour those who have passed, those who have endured, and those who envision a new day for liver health. Who will you honour? liver.ca/stroll-for-liver