Graphic recording of the fertility care project.

Graphic recording captured by Nellie Yee.

This casebook project is one of many featured in the lived experience in research road map resource, developed by the BC SUPPORT Unit. Explore the full set of casebook projects.

Improving fertility care and resources in BC and Yukon

Project team members include:

  • Principle investigator: Cheryl Heykoop
  • Team members: Alannah Smrke, Kristin Marr, Jennifer Wolfe, Nathan Shen, Jonathan Avery, Melissa Pierce, adolescents and young adult (AYA) co-researchers

What is this project about?

We worked in collaboration with AYAs with cancer, care providers, and researchers to understand fertility care experiences, identify priorities for change, and co-create resources and support for improved oncofertility care and support.

Who did you partner with for your project?

We worked with AYAs, researchers, and care providers across BC and Yukon.

How did partners with lived experience contribute during key stages of your research project?

Research stage

Identify priorities

How we partnered

Hosted workshops

We hosted virtual workshops with AYAs across BC and Yukon to understand fertility needs and challenges, and explore the best ways in which resources and information could be shared. In total, 35 AYAs participated.

Research stage

Advisory committee

How we partnered

Advisory committee

We worked with a group of 8 AYAs to form an advisory committee. The advisory committee met virtually 3 times to identify key priorities for knowledge exchange, identify and co-create resources, and review draft resources following graphic design and layout.

We then shared the draft resources with a broader group of AYAs and care providers for further consultation and review.

Research stage

Collect data / Start project

How we partnered

Hiring

We hired two research assistants with lived experience with cancer as AYAs to analyze data that emerged from this project, and write data summaries and articles.

We also worked with one counsellor with lived experience with cancer as an AYA to provide counselling services, and we trained and hired two graphic recorders also with lived experience with cancer as AYAs.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to collaborate with partners with lived experience?

Recognize and amplify the capacities of patient partners.

For example, we trained and hired two patient partners as graphic recorders, hired two researchers with lived experience, and worked with a counsellor who also had lived experience as an AYA and worked with AYAs.

How can someone learn more about your project?

Visit our website: Anew Research Collaborative

Learn about the initiative:

Acknowledgments and thanks

The project team would like to thank:

  • BC Cancer
  • BC Children’s Hospital
  • Royal Roads University
  • Anew Research Collaborative
  • Michael Smith Health Research BC
  • Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
  • New Frontiers in Research Fund

This project was collected as part of a casebook that demonstrates patient-oriented research in BC.

Explore the casebook