CUPS Client Story: Mardi
From living with Hepatitis C to a cure and a new passion
A decade ago, it was estimated that more than 220,000 people in Canada were infected with hepatitis C (HCV). On top of that, an estimated 40 per cent of people living with chronic hepatitis C don’t even know they are infected.
It was 2008 when Mardi got a call from her family doctor that would change her life. Her latest labs showed that her liver enzymes were high. Her doctor wanted more bloodwork done. Those results came back positive for HCV.
Living with Hepatitis C
At this time, the previous medications used to treat HCV had extensive side effects. Mardi wasn’t interested and chose to live with Hep C, which she did for 12 years.
Over that time, technology advanced treatment for all liver diseases, including HCV. In 2019, the CUPS Liver Clinic actively searched their database for clients who had fallen through the HCV “Cascade of Care” to reconnect them back into a treatment program.
Mardi was on that list and CUPS reached out to engage her in a conversation about curing her HCV.
A game-changing treatment
Mardi figured “why not” and went in to see Kate Newcombe, an RN with the CUPS Liver Clinic. The program was straightforward, with no shots. Three months later, Mardi was Hep C free.
As part of the program, Mardi picked up three months of medications from her local pharmacy and she went back in at the conclusion of her treatment for bloodwork to confirm success of the program. During that visit, she also got her Hep A and B shots. With no extra visits and check-in phone calls from the Liver Clinic, treatment was relatively simple.
“I’m not ashamed I had Hep C,” says Mardi, “It will always be a bit of a stigma, but people have been great. I speak very freely about it.”
Shifting focus to a promising new career
Even though Mardi has finished her treatment, her connection with CUPS remains.
When Covid shut down the city in March of 2020, Mardi began painting and selling her pictures online. She learned of the CBeyond Art Contest from Kate and submitted six pictures.
The C Beyond Art Contest focuses on art and its influence on people living with HCV. Open to anyone in Canada who has been affected by HCV, the goal was to capture first hand stories, told through works of art.
Mardi won the contest with a picture called Living on the Edge.
As Mardi describes the painting, “It’s just like Hep C. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, you’re living on the edge.”
Her prize-winning package includes a collaboration with a creative agency in Toronto. She’s currently designing a medallion that will be part of the package given to everyone in Canada diagnosed with Hep C. Her art business is growing every day.
March is Liver Health Month
The CUPS Liver Clinic offers Hepatitis C screening and testing, along with screening for all other sexually transmitted and blood borne infections.
If you think you, or someone you know, has been exposed to Hep C, contact the CUPS Liver Clinic. They provide testing and treatment, along with vaccination and education both for Hep C and other liver-related concerns including fatty liver and cirrhosis.