In the aftermath of profound loss, Kaylyn Medeiros’s family figured out a way to transform their grief into a lasting legacy.
In June 2023, Medeiros’s life was cut short at just 25 years old by a rare autoimmune disease called Takayasu’s Arteritis, which causes blood vessel inflammation. Grappling with this heartbreak, her family created a beacon of hope for others, establishing the Kaylyn Elisa Medeiros Fund at Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF).
The fund was born from a desire to raise awareness about Takayasu’s Arteritis and autoimmune diseases at large.
“Right after she passed, I turned to my brothers, my family, her dad and my husband, and I said, ‘We need to start something just to get the awareness out,’” Anna Olivieri, Medeiros’s mother, recalls.
The fund aims to assist people experiencing autoimmune diseases and their families, while also supporting medical research into these conditions, with a special focus on Takayasu’s Arteritis. It has been a resounding success, raising nearly $25,000 in the first year — a target chosen to match Kaylyn’s age when she passed. This exceeded expectations for the fund.
As Olivieri explains, “$10,000 was what they said we had to do over 10 years.” The $10,000 threshold is the amount a fund must reach before it begins granting. This ensures the longevity of endowments so that they can continue to grow and give in perpetuity.
Olivieri recalls her daughter’s compassion, specifically towards animals. She was a dedicated foster mom for dogs, working with organizations like Paws Up. Inspired by this love for animals, her family is working to establish a scholarship through ECF to support students pursuing veterinary studies.
“Whether it be a veterinarian, a vet assistant, anything to do with animal care, we want to help students in Kaylyn’s name,” Olivieri says.
The journey to set up and run the fund has been emotional yet rewarding. Olivieri describes how, with the help of her brothers, one of whom is a retired lawyer, they navigated the process of setting up a fund with ECF.
“It continues to be emotional and heartwarming, knowing how many people continue to support this, and how they continue to contribute,” she says.
In the first week of September, the family plans to hold a walk in St. Albert’s Lions Park, a continuation of last year’s successful event that raised funds and collected donations for dogs in need.
For Olivieri and her family, the fund is not just about raising money, “It’s mainly about bringing awareness to this disease and keeping my daughter’s name and memory alive,” Olivieri says. “As time goes on, we keep thinking
about what else we can do with this. I just want to keep making noise.”
