There are moments in life when something shifts, when what once felt impossible suddenly isn’t. As I sat down to write this month’s update, that feeling kept resurfacing. Moments witnessed from 240,000 miles away, and moments witnessed at the end of my own driveway.
NASA’s Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center with four brave souls on board, including Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, marking humanity’s return to deep space. For the first time in more than 50 years, humans have broken free of low Earth orbit and are now circling the far side of the moon. It is a breathtaking reminder of what courage, collaboration, and science can make possible.
I appreciated the brief moments I had with Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield in my former professional life and smiled when I found these old photos. It was the closest thing to a space encounter that I will likely ever experience.
Lately, when I watch the headlines, I feel a deep sense of pride that science — real, ambitious, world‑changing science — is reflected in my conversations every day at the Heart Institute. Also, I may be extra gushy about science these days because I also went to see the new Ryan Gosling movie Project Hail Mary over the weekend. And not to give the movie away – science (Ryan Gosling) literally saves the world!!!
And – back to my point. Our researchers, physicians, and scientists are navigating unknown terrain of their own, mapping what we still don’t understand about cardiovascular disease, and finding new ways to protect and extend life. The stakes are just as high. Science as backbone. Science as hope.
And personally, I’ve been reminded of what science and medicine have given me.
Today is day one back. After six weeks of what I lovingly call “house arrest” following my spinal discectomy, I’ve been given the green light to resume normal life. I walked every day during recovery, but nothing prepared me for the feeling of pulling out of my driveway this morning — on my own terms, pain‑free. It was, in its own quiet way, a liftoff.
Being pain‑free is something I will never take for granted again. There is a particular kind of liberation in feeling like yourself — moving freely, thinking clearly, simply being — that I wish I could bottle and give to everyone still waiting for their moment of relief.
This week reminded me why our work matters so deeply. Whether it’s four astronauts breaking free of Earth’s gravity or one person easing back onto the road after weeks of stillness, the feeling is the same. Something held. And then, finally, released.
Here are a few of my Instagram posts from the journey.
Closer to home, our foundation team is now into the final stretch of preparing for our 4th Annual Ottawa Pickleball Classic presented by CHG Meridian and hosted generously by the EY Centre. The 90k square feet of space will become a pickleball Mecca and a fantastic space for all of our participants. We have less than a handful of slots remaining and the deadline to register is Friday, April 10. If you have been on the fence, you need to get off it, fast. Whether you are a seasoned competitor or someone who just discovered the joy of the dink shot, we have a category for you.
We have tons of new partners this year, including Montreal-based Tennis Giant. They will be on hand throughout the day, but are offering ALL of our donors and supporters access to an exclusive discount. Please visit their website and use the code TGOPC when you check out. This code is valid until May 15, 2026, and is good for 10% off all regular-priced racquets (tennis, pickleball, badminton, squash, and padel) and 15% off all other regular-priced items (excludes balls, gift cards, services, and ball/stringing machines).
A portion of the proceeds will be coming back to support the Heart Institute. These are wonderful new partnerships to have.
Also, we are still welcoming members to Team Heart for those taking part in Ottawa Race Weekend on May 23–24. Whether you walk or run the 2km, 5km, or 10km, we would love to have you join us in support of the Heart Institute. You can register and choose to fundraise for UOHI here. If you raise a minimum of $30, you’ll receive a pair of “Heart Socks” to wear during your race!
In addition to the Heart Institute 50th anniversary celebrations, we are excited to be the recipients once again from the Gold Plate Dinner being held at the Infinity Convention Centre on Thursday, May 14th. Tickets are still available and we invite you to join us for this wonderful evening in support of the Heart Institute. You can purchase tickets here.
Meanwhile one of our own researchers continues to make headlines. Dr. Jodi Edwards has had a remarkable week. Her groundbreaking work on the Brain-Heart Interconnectome has been generating serious buzz, and she has spent the past several days last week doing interviews with major media outlets.
CTV New heart, brain, mental health guidelines: Ottawa institute — Read → Photo: Andrew Adlington/CTV News Ottawa
Ottawa Citizen Screen cardiac patients for brain conditions — Read → Photo: Jean Levac/Ottawa Citizen/Postmedia
As I close out this edition, I hope many of you had a wonderful Easter weekend, with family, friends and an extra serving of sweets. And to those in our community who celebrated Passover, I hope your Seder table was surrounded by the people you love and cherish most.
Spring continues to tease us, with moments of glorious sunshine, snow melts and birds chirping. There is so much to look forward to. I have six weeks of errands I now need to catch up on, including prom prep for Jamie, and University wrap-up for Andie. It never ends, and I am so grateful for that.
With love,
Lianne
Lianne
