About Us
Our family founded Damian’s Project (then Give Cures) in 2021 after Damian was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). With Damian facing a drastically shortened life expectancy and what seemed like a hopeless diagnosis, the cultivation of hope became a top priority for our family. Our goal was to raise awareness, fund research, and build community around a collective effort to find a cure for DMD.
With Damian facing a drastically shortened life expectancy and what seemed like a hopeless diagnosis, the cultivation of hope became a top priority for our family. Our goal was to raise awareness, fund research, and build community around a collective effort to find a cure for DMD.
From day one, we aimed to build sustainable relationships with our supporters by creating inclusive experiences that fostered mutual understanding, connection and belonging while they supported our fundraising goals. It was our intent to not only ask but to give — back to our donors and back to our community.
As we came to understand the isolation that rare disease families can experience, we also set out to bridge the gap between rare disease families like ours and a community of support.
Damian was passionate about changing the world and dreamed of creating a community that welcomed everyone. He understood how disability isolates people and as someone who was also neurodivergent, he was well aware of the wide array of wellbeing challenges today’s communities face.
He dreamed of creating a community built on support and free of judgment. A space that was intentionally safe for all bodies, abilities and lived experiences and where no one was forced to disclose their disability or the barriers they faced when it came to wellbeing.
As we started to develop programming and events that build community around this cause, the need for such only became more apparent. So, grounded in this experience with DMD and disability, our goals evolved and today, our objective is to foster inclusive community for all and to challenge the prohibitive status quo that surrounds wellbeing in our community.
When Damian passed away unexpectedly at 14 years old, we renamed our organization to Damian’s Project and we intend to continue the work he started and inspired, to grow our programs, and to honor his memory by keeping his dream alive.
The Team
Patricia Szeto (She/Her)
Founder
Patricia is the founder of Damian’s Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to rare disease initiatives, inspired by her son, who had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Driven by a mission to end DMD, Patricia also focuses on raising awareness about related implications such as disability, neurodivergence, chronic illness, and mental health.
With a bachelor's degree in health sciences, Patricia brings a deep understanding of the complexities surrounding rare diseases. She is also a certified yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong instructor, incorporating these practices into her advocacy work to promote holistic well-being.
Through Damian’s Project, Patricia has created a supportive community, bringing people together to foster awareness, support, and hope for those affected by rare diseases and their families.
Christine Wu (She/Her)
Program Curator
Christine is the program curator and outreach liaison at Damian’s Project.
As a certified yoga teacher with a background in music, Christine leads yoga and sound meditation, incorporating the healing benefits of Himalayan sound bowls in her practice. Her classes are trauma-informed, nurturing and grounding.
Christine is passionate about being a part of Damian’s Project and values nurturing safe and inclusive spaces for people with diverse needs.
She looks forward to bringing community members together to share their knowledge, artistry and passions.
Eve Court (She/Her)
Program Strategy, Evaluation and Grants
Eve (she/her) is a settler Canadian of mixed-European ancestry born on Mi’kmaq territory, and has been an uninvited guest on the traditional, ancestral and unceded land of the sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations since 2014. She brings extensive experience designing and managing programs related to social justice and DEI, communicating hard-to-measure outcomes, and building capacity for social change in trauma-informed spaces – approaching it all with a neurodivergent brain. She’s had a 20+-year relationship with yoga and movement practices and has completed several teacher trainings. She’s thrilled to be combining her commitment to social justice and accessibility, with passion for creating inclusive wellbeing spaces through her work with Damian’s Project
Our Impact
80+
1200+
4
Organizations we support
Cure Rare Disease
Yarrow
Christianne's Lyceum
of Literature and Art
Our Partners
80+
1200+
4
What our community says
“I'm a newcomer to Vancouver and felt immediately welcomed into this community. ”
“As a person on the autism spectrum, I feel very comfortable with the Give Cures offerings"
“With yoga becoming prohibitively expensive in Vancouver, the work Give Cures does is beneficial on multiple levels ”
“ Give Cures has welcomed me with all that I am, without asking me to be anything more, less or different. I will be forever grateful for this community.”
“I'm a newcomer to Vancouver and felt immediately welcomed into this community. ”
“As a person on the autism spectrum, I feel very comfortable with the Give Cures offerings"
“With yoga becoming prohibitively expensive in Vancouver, the work Give Cures does is beneficial on multiple levels ”
“ Give Cures has welcomed me with all that I am, without asking me to be anything more, less or different. I will be forever grateful for this community.”
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Damian's Project Society would like to acknowledge that we operate on unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), & səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations.