Lymphedema Education Day

Dr. David Keast, a native of London, Ontario, graduated from Western University with a Masters Degree in Chemistry and taught high school for 11 years before entering Queen’s University to study medicine, graduating in 1985. He is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. He practised Family Medicine for 25 years before focusing his practice on chronic wound and lymphoedema management. He is currently the Medical Director of the Outpatient Chronic Wound Management Clinic at the Parkwood Institute, London. Dr. Keast is Clinical Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry and Associate Scientist in the Parkwood Research Institute, part of the Lawson Health Research Institute.

He has research interest in wound assessment tools, and the nature and characteristics of people living with lymphoedema. He has participated in multiple clinical trials. Dr. Keast is a founding co-chair of the Canadian Lymphedema Framework, a founding board member and Past President of the Canadian Association of Wound Care (now Wounds Canada), and one of the founding members of the World Alliance for Wound and Lymphedema Care in cooperation with the World Health Organization. Dr. Keast is an internationally recognized educator and has published over 90 papers and eight book chapters.

Sonja graduated from the Dr. Rohrbach School of Physiotherapy in Kassel/Germany in 1991. Consequently, she worked in a Rehabilitation Hospital and private practice in Germany before relocating to Prince George, Canada. She completed her Canadian Physiotherapy degree in 1999. Her work experiences in Prince George include working at the University Hospital of Northern BC and in Community Care. She started her private practice in 2006 where she has focused her work on treating patients with lymphedema, cancer, and chronic pain conditions. Sonja also has worked as Clinical Skills Assistant for the University of British Columbia, Physical Therapy Department since 2020.

Sonja completed her training as a certified lymphedema therapist at Dr. Vodder School International in 2005 and a post-graduate certification program in pain management through the University of Alberta in 2013. She is a certified Progressive Goal Attainment Programme (PGAP) clinician and certified garment fitter.

She is a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (pain science division and oncology division), BC Lymphedema Association, and the Physiotherapy Association of B.C.

Sonja has volunteered for the Canadian Lymphedema Framework since 2013, assisting in their efforts to enhance Canada-wide lymphedema education. She has been invited to present lymphedema-related in-services in several hospital therapy departments throughout BC and has presented case studies in various settings, including the Canadian Lymphedema Conference in Montreal in 2017.

Nanaimo born Jenna LaFleche is a graduate of the Canadian College of Massage Therapy and is registered in good standing with the CMTBC. Currently living in Victoria, BC, she began her massage therapy education in 2009 while studying abroad in Munich, Germany at the Staatliche Berufsfachschule für Massage am Klinikum Großhadern.

In both Canada and in Europe she has had the opportunity to work with many different people from all walks of life. Jenna has expanded her knowledge and skill set in completing Level 3 of the Dr. Vodder Method of Combined Decongestive Therapy (CDT) and Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) in 2019. She offers custom compression garment fitting and local resources to better aid her patients who are managing post-surgical swelling, lymphedema, lipedema and venous insufficiency.

In 2021 Jenna has accepted a position to serve on the Board of Directors of the BC Lymphedema Association (BCLA - www.bclymph.org),

Jenna presents monthly lymphedema education webinars via Inspire Health, The Integrated Cancer Center, on Zoom since 2021, to help patients with the resources to learn self-management strategies (through exercise, self-massage and home care) and promote self-advocacy for the disease.

In September 2022 Jenna presented at the BC Lymphedema Association's South Vancouver Island Regional Workshop, a full-day in person educational workshop for patients, health professionals and medical supply vendors to come together and learn practical hands-on strategies for lymphedema risk reduction and management.