Initially presenting with symptoms like a runny nose and joint pain, which led doctors to suspect Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Davana Gill’s condition was eventually diagnosed as Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA)—a rare autoimmune disease that can lead to kidney damage and failure.
When she was 18, doctors prescribed her anti-inflammatories when it was believed she had RA, which masked her symptoms and led to severe dehydration. With frequent trips to the Emergency Room, doctors were very concerned when her lungs were full of fluid and her kidneys stopped functioning properly.
She was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Peter Lougheed Centre and then was transferred to Foothills Medical Centre. She was put in a medically induced coma for a week, as doctors raced to save her life.
It was a terrifying ordeal for Davana’s family, but she was able to recover – and now, 20 years later is thriving and managing her GPA effectively with her prescribed medications. She is the mother of two young children and has been able to manage living with GPA because of the great care she’s received from her healthcare team.
Being on immunosuppressants, she’s had to ensure that she’s up to date on all her vaccinations and takes precautions that those of us who are healthy, don’t have to think about.
The Great Italian Wine Encounter (GIWE) being held on January 23, 2025, is a bi-annual event, fundraising for the Glomerulonephritis (GN) Clinic in partnership with Calgary Health Foundation. GN is a group of diseases that affect the kidneys. The GN Clinic is a comprehensive and holistic clinic, which diagnoses and manages patients who have immune mediated kidney disease.
Davana is grateful to donors who give to this cause, noting that most people don’t know or hear about kidney disease and it’s often not a disease that receives a lot of funding.
“With the GN Clinic, it’s easy to speak with a pharmacist or a registered nurse and organize what a patient needs. It makes a big difference because they can let you know if you need to go to the hospital or what care you need if you’re able to stay at home,” Davana explains.
Working in healthcare herself, Davana understands some of the complexities of her disease, allowing her to be a strong advocate for herself. She knows she’s lucky to have medical knowledge so she can best care for herself, while also knowing when she needs help.
“At the end of the day, having the GN clinic also helps resources in the hospital, because it’s much easier to support someone when they’re not at a critical stage.”
As Davana has benefited from the excellent care throughout her years of living with GPA, she now gives her time to speaking at events like GIWE, so people can hear firsthand what it’s like living with a kidney disease, and how they can make a difference by donating to improve research and health outcomes. Learn more about patients like Davana and give more firsts by visiting givehealth.ca.
