eva markvoort

She had struggled with the genetic disease since she was a year old and went into chronic rejection after receiving a double lung transplant in 2007.

Her father, Bill Markvoort, said her family was by her side in her last days and "in the end she simply ran out of breath."

"We're going to miss her so much."
The New Westminster native wanted to be an actor, and it was with a dramatic flair that she spread awareness about cystic fibrosis and the importance of organ donation.

Shortly after news of her death, hundreds of messages of condolence from all over the world flooded her blog.

"She is in our hearts. I'm drowning in the medications. Something has to change"

As she lay in Vancouver General Hospital the last two months of her life, the walls of her room were plastered with hundreds of cards and letters, many from people with terminal illnesses inspired by her strength.

In late February, UVic forgave the two electives she had yet to finish and awarded Markvoort her bachelor's degree in fine arts. She was also awarded the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Doug Summerhayes award for outstanding commitment to the cause.

Her father said her response after accepting the award was, "This is my legacy."The documentary was made by Nimisha Mukerji and Philip Lyall.

Markvoort was the winner of the 2010 Summerhayes award for her work on behalf of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She inspired many people across the country with her courage and dignity.


The award was presented to her at Vancouver General Hospital. Her movie is winning awards at film festivals around the world and her LiveJournal page has thousands of avid followers. Google knows to anticipate her name. She suffers from cystic fibrosis, the fatal respiratory condition that, in simple terms, causes a build-up of mucus in the lungs and impedes breathing.

Though she’s lived with the disease since birth, the 25-year-old theatre student from the University of Victoria has spent her years attempting a normal lifestyle. She credits CF for strengthening the bond she has with her younger brother and sister. To let go and not always be motivating and inspiring. The pair had been looking for a post-graduation project and decided to chronicle Markvoort’s wait for the double-lung transplant. “That’s one of the surprises of the documentary: you never know where it’s going to go.” “I didn’t even know what I shot, I was so involved in the moment.”
Apart from the acclaim for the film's honesty regarding the highs and lows of Markvoort’s struggle, 65_RedRoses also made her the face of a cause by raising awareness about organ donation. In the thick of the US healthcare debate, Makerji has only praise for the Canadian system.
Yet, says Makerji, “after the surgery was when the real drama began” as Markvoort’s body tried to adapt to the new organs.
She road-tripped to California with her brother and, noting the items scratched off her to-do list in the past year, “skipped over the Brooklyn Bridge.” Yet, on the first anniversary of receiving her new lungs, Markvoort was already back on the transplant list.
Family and friends — whom she lovingly refers to as her “ladies and gentlemen in waiting” — take shifts helping her. Hundreds of supporters have written to her professing that she’s inspired them to sign organ donor cards. More have sent letters and gifts that she hangs in her room.

The ever-busy Markvoort finds it difficult to be forcibly subdued by her body.
Most remarkable about Markvoort is her optimism. She posted on her journal first.