Our Team
Brenda Lenahan - Executive Director
Brenda Lenahan is mom to her medically complex son, who has inspired her involvement in childhood disability advocacy and research. Since 2017, she has been advocating for equitable access to financial, health & social support for families raising medically complex kids in BC and across Canada. This grassroots work led to her co-found BC Complex Kids Society, which is the main focus of her energy. Her passion for social equity has led to her membership on the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care and participation in United Nations human rights review processes. In November 2025, she was deeply honoured to be awarded the Caregiver Advocacy Award from the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. There is never a dull moment as she also runs a mobile business selling adaptive recreation equipment and is a municipal councillor in Tahsis, the west coast village that she calls home. She is ever so grateful for the beautiful connections with other families and the meaningful work that her son has brought into her life.
Laesa Kim - President / Chair
Laesa is a writer and author of the memoir Can’t Breathe, which unfolds the emotional journey of living and accepting this complex life. Laesa believes in the power of each individual’s story, to learn from the nuances of each person’s experience and as a means of bridging our experiences together. She is a vocal advocate for the medically complex community in online spaces and various committees she has sat on at BC Women’s Hospital, and since 2020, she has been engaged as a parent partner on research projects across Canada. Laesa’s oldest sister lives with medical complexity and has moved through these same systems she now advocates within for her own child. Her lived experience has shaped her urgency, understanding and dedication to this community. Laesa lives in Surrey with her husband, son, daughter and dog - where they enjoy trail walks, basketball in the driveway and family game nights together.
Marion Fernandez - Vice President / Treasurer
Marion is a mama bear to a sweet medically complex boy, whose journey has taught her so much. From taking life a little for granted with good health, traveling the medical pathway with her son has lead her to volunteer her time with multiple organizations that gave her son life, to give back to them. She feels very strongly about parents taking a more active role in decision making and quality improvement projects in the medical realm, and is co chair of the Neonatal Family Council at BC Women's which helps her lend her voice to make a change. She is also vice chair of the Family Advisory Council at Canuck Place. She firmly believes in change making by parents, for parents, so that our medically complex kiddos can live in a better supported world.
Christina Palmer - Secretary
Christina was thrown into the world of medical complexity after the birth of her youngest, who at one was diagnosed with a rare disease - Mirage Syndrome, becoming the first in Canada to receive this diagnosis. Since then she has witnessed first hand that through connection with others the power that comes from everyone supporting one another, and how important advocacy is for all families trying to receive the support and care they need for their children and families. Before becoming a parent, Christina served as a first responder for over 20 years and now works for a non-profit charity focused in public safety. Having always believed in giving back through service, Christina has volunteered with a number of other non-profit and charities related to families with children of medical complexity, and is a family representative with the Slocan Redevelopment. Living in Penticton with her husband, two children and their newest family member, their puppy Lucy, you'll find Christina staying active through CrossFit and various gym classes, camping during the summer with her family, and enthusiastically pretending that she's crafty.
Christine Hull - Director
Christine and her husband live in Terrace with their two beautiful children. Their daughter Scarlett introduced them to a world of medical complexity when she required heart surgery when she was born. Roman came two years later with a rare neurogenetic diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome. With Romans complex needs, challenges to meet those needs soon became evident: even though supports were supposed to be available to help Roman and his family, those supports proved to be challenging to access and often fell short. Christine knew one thing; her son didn’t have a voice, but she sure did. Advocacy quickly became a passion as Christine challenged systems, advocated for her son and pursued positive systemic change. Christine brings experience sitting on boards as well as a rural community perspective that includes challenges with rural medicine, accessibility, and limited resources available.