ROLES: Author, Digital Design Specialist, Video Editor

I’m grateful and honoured to share two recent acknowledgements that have deeply resonated with me, both personally and professionally.

Gold at the Digital Health Awards – Spring 2025

Our video series, Ojibwe Language in Epilepsy Care: A Creative Medical Translation Project for Enhancing Cultural Competency, was awarded Gold at the Digital Health Awards – Spring 2025 edition. This recognition is a testament to the collaborative spirit and cultural sensitivity that guided this project from the beginning.

The series was developed as part of the ECHO Epilepsy Ontario program, where I serve as the Digital Design Specialist. Working alongside Indigenous educators, healthcare professionals, and community partners, we created a set of videos that translate key medical terms used in epilepsy care into Ojibwe, contextualized within both medical and cultural frameworks. The goal was to foster cultural competency and inclusive communication in healthcare settings.

The response has been wonderful — with over 55,000 organic views on YouTube, the videos have become a meaningful educational tool for clinicians, learners, and communities alike. You can read more about the project and award on the ECHO Epilepsy Ontario website.

“The Ojibwe word for brain is wiindib. While Indigenous peoples might not always refer to the “brain” in the Western scientific sense, their Epilepsy treatments often aim to harmonize mental and spiritual states, which involve the brain’s functions.”

This is my second Gold, Digital Health Award. I last won Gold for my healthcare education videos series produced in my work as Digital Health Specialist with the Reitman Centre at Sinai Health. We won Gold for our Mental Health Video Series for Family Caregivers of Someone Living with Dementia.

Nominated for the SickKids Learning Institute Award of Excellence

This spring, I was also nominated for the SickKids Learning Institute Award of Excellence, alongside two incredible colleagues. The award “recognizes an individual staff member or team in the Learning Institute who contributes to the achievement of the Learning Institute’s priorities; demonstrates the SickKids values of compassion, integrity, collaboration, inclusion, innovation and excellence; and demonstrates strong Learning Institute citizenship including creating a positive and collaborative environment.”

While I didn’t receive the final award (a well-deserved honour that went to a brilliant team member from the SIMKids Simulation program), the nomination itself was a moment of deep significance for my work and service with SickKids, and was accompanied by a wonderful letter of nomination and congratulations from Lennox Huang, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Education, Medical & Academic Affairs and Kelly McMillen, Executive Director, Learning Institute.

The nomination was submitted by my program manager, Annie Jiwan and my senior manager, Kelly Warmington, who highlighted my work in storytelling through video — from capturing the emotional depth of palliative care to celebrating the energy of child life specialists and the resilience of patients and families. It also acknowledged the behind-the-scenes care and collaboration that goes into every project: the check-ins, revisions, and long drives going the distance to get the story right.

I was especially touched by this line from the nomination:

“Deiren is a model LI citizen and has contributed significantly to creating a positive and collaborative work environments on our team, across the LI, SickKids and with external partners through his storytelling. His videos are gifts that spark joy – when watching them, you get the opportunity to pause and reflect on past accomplishments, and how far you’ve come…Deiren’s stories touch clinicians, learners, and members of the ECHO community, including underserved groups. His work reflects his commitment to excellence and empathy and demonstrates his ability to uplift others through his lens.”

Learning Institute Award of Excellence Nomination Letter

To be recognized in this way by colleagues I admire so deeply is a gift in itself.

A Culture of “Yes” and “We Can”

The SickKids Learning Institute is a place where excellence is not just a goal — it’s a shared value. It’s a culture where the words “Yes” and “We can” are most regularly the first out of the gate. Where ideas find good soil and gardeners to help cultivate them. I’m grateful every day to be part of a team that believes in the power of storytelling, creativity, and collaboration to make a difference in healthcare education.

Thanks for reading — and thank you to everyone who continues to support and inspire this work.