Meet The Team

Carmen Lavoie

Carmen has been a social work Professor at Vancouver Island University since 2014. She holds a Masters of Social Work from Carleton University and PhD in Social Work and Education from McGill University, with awards for both her writing and teaching. Carmen has volunteered in various community non-profit organizations across the country for 30 years, including those focussed on women’s issues, anti-poverty initiatives, the toxic drug supply and community development. However, seeing the experience of loved ones at end of life has led Carmen to focus on end of life practice in recent years, and to supporting those eligible for MAiD.

Caroline Variath

Dr. Caroline Variath is a faculty member, department of Health Sciences and Human Services Department at Vancouver Island University.​ She also works as a nurse coordinator with the Palliative End-of-Life care team at Island Health. ​She has over 15 years of clinical experience in acute and critical care settings​ as a registered nurse. The challenges she encountered in practice with end-of-life care, especially for those unable to make their own decisions, prompted her research interests. Her research primarily focuses on end-of-life care. Her overall goal is to
help improve end-of-life experiences for patients, their families, and healthcare providers.

Meghan Towers

Dr. Meghan Towers is a Hospitalist physician working at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH). She has also been working with patients at the end of their lives as a MAiD provider both in hospital and in the community since 2018. She completed her Undergraduate studies at McGill University and went on to study Medicine at the University of Toronto. She completed her family medicine residency through the University of British Columbia. She currently also works as the Department Lead for Hospitalists at NRGH. She lives with her family, cat and ducks in Nanaimo and when not at work enjoys gardening, weight lifting, reading and learning new languages.

Donalda Weaver

Donalda’s professional career focused on Financial Management, spanning various roles from Bookkeeper to Controller. However, her passion extends beyond numbers into the realm of philanthropy and community service. Donalda’s commitment to community engagement is evident through her involvement on multiple boards. She has served on the West End–Coal Harbour Community Policing Centre Board, Project limelight Society, the End-of Life Doula Association of Canada, and most recently, the Butterfly House Society of Vancouver Island. Donalda’s journey in End-of-Life Care started over 35 years when she began volunteering with Lion’s Gate Hospital’s Palliative Care Program. Her experience and passion for this field led her to undergo formal training as an End-of- Life Doula at Douglas College in 2021. Subsequently, she joined the Nanaimo Community Hospice in 2022 continuing her commitment to community service as a volunteer while concurrently building her practice as an End of Life and Critical Illness Doula in Nanaimo. As Treasurer of the Butterfly House Society of Vancouver Island Board, Donalda is thrilled to lend her financial expertise to an organization committed to providing a physical space and resources for patients, families and physicians seeking MAiD assessments and provisions.

Samantha Isidro

 

Samantha is currently a third year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student at Vancouver Island University. Through her time in nursing school, she has developed a passion for end-of-life care. Samantha is grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to Butterfly House Society of Vancouver Island in her social media coordinator role.