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About

OUR STORY

Kids’ Health Links Foundation (KHLF) is a grassroots charity reliant on donor support to sustain its impactful programs. Our foundation was inspired by the experiences of two teenage friends, Christina Papaevangelou and Katy McDonald, whose stories reveal the pressing need for our services. In February 2002, Christina, a healthy teenager, fell critically ill with Toxic Shock Syndrome, a severe blood infection. Identified at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, she was quickly transferred to McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. After 48 hours in critical condition, Christina began to recover, but faced emotional and educational challenges from her extended hospital stay.

Several youths from different cultures are smiling

Soon after, Christina’s friend Katy, 16, was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma. Despite initial treatment, Katy’s cancer returned as multiple brain tumors, necessitating surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and a stem cell transplant. Living an hour from SickKids Hospital in Toronto, Katy’s family struggled to keep her connected. At that time, social media was emerging, so her parents bought her a laptop, and she used dial-up internet to stay in touch via email and instant messaging. This connection was crucial, helping Katy maintain ties with friends, family, and school. Although Katy ultimately lost her battle with cancer, staying connected was vital for her emotional well-being.

Recognizing the common struggle of isolation for hospitalized youth, Christina and her father Basile founded Kids’ Health Links Foundation. In 2007, they launched Upopolis to address this need, offering a platform that keeps hospitalized and chronically ill youth in Canada connected with their loved ones.

Organization Mission

To empower adolescents living with chronic conditions, grief, mental health, and other life challenges, as well as their teachers and health professionals, by connecting them through inclusive communities of support and practice. We aim to enhance knowledge and improve care, health, and well-being.

The World Health Organization’s charter drives our Mission:

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Our programs improve lives and help youth (ages 13-23) cope with the daily challenges they may face.

We provide these services at no cost:

  • Private, Safe, Secure, and Moderated Communities: These enable peer-to-peer engagement to connect youth and teens facing life challenges with clinician moderators and youth mentors with lived experience to help them cope and live well.
  • Online Communities of Practice: These facilitate peer-to-peer engagement, knowledge exchange, education, and sharing of best practices for pediatric health care practitioners and child and youth mental health professionals.

Values

  • Compassion: Empathize with and care for lived experiences.
  • Collaboration: Partnerships and teamwork are the cornerstones of success.
  • Integrity: We say what we do and do what we say.
  • Passion: Deep belief and optimism in all we do.
  • Inclusion: Equitable access, diversity, and inclusion for all.

Meet the Team

National Director of Upopolis

Krista Naugler
Upopolis Program Coordinator

Jessica Miller
Program Facilitator

Sabina Spataro
Program Facilitator

Carley Mattinson
Program Facilitator

Korin Visca
National Director of Upopolis

Krista Naugler

Krista Naugler, a Certified Child Life Specialist, joined the KHLF team in October 2015. In June 2016, she took on the additional responsibilities of Upopolis Program Manager. For over 25 years, Krista has worked in child life services at IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, serving in emergency, cardiology, orthopaedics, surgery, PICU, neurology, and as the practice leader. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for youth grief peer support opportunities and co-facilitated grief support groups for youth 10-17 years of age. In 2014, Krista founded Camp Kedooopse (now Camp Solace) at Brigadoon Village, a grief support camp for children and youth ages 8-17 years. When asked why she is passionate about her work for KHLF, Krista shared that she recognizes the need to meet teens where they are. Today, that means accepting their use of technology for connection and expression.

Upopolis Program Coordinator

Jessica Miller

Jessica Miller (Poesch) joined the KHLF team in October of 2015, currently she is in the role of the Upopolis Program Coordinator. In July 2016, Jessica also took on a contract with KHLF’s initiative Upedia, and has expanded role with that program, as Upedia Coordinator.

Jessica joined the KHLF team with over 15 years’ experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist. Her experience in clinical settings includes; outpatient oncology, nephrology and multi-organ transplant, general surgery, emergency and 7 years on the inpatient oncology unit at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

Jessica’s education and experience goes beyond the scope of clinical child life practice. This includes her role as Program Manager for the Child and Teen Program at Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto, and Adjunct Instructor for the Child Life Program at McMaster University. In 2009, Jessica received her Masters of Arts from Ryerson University where her thesis examined children’s perceived understanding of death through the experiences of Child Life Specialists. Jessica has also furthered her education with specialized courses in pediatric palliative care and cultural competence.

Program Facilitator

Sabina Spataro

Sabina, Social Media Lead

Sabina has been a child life specialist for over 10 years, working in the Toronto area, and has worked most of her career in cardiology, where she loved working with the whole family. Sabina is excited to join Upopolis because she knows the importance of building relationships with others who are going through similar experiences, especially in a safe virtual environment like Upopolis.

When Sabina isn’t working, she loves to be outdoors with her family, tobogganing in the winter or hiking in the summer (with her family’s wild French bulldog!)

When she’s stressed, Sabina likes to hang out with friends, listen to music or a podcast, watch movies, or get outside for a walk.

Program Facilitator

Carley Mattinson

Carley is a program facilitator on the Upopolis team. Carley will lead programming for Camp Fromaway, cystic fibrosis, and scoliosis. She will also be involved in regular programming on the online community and games nights.

Carley has over nine years of experience as a certified child life specialist in Edmonton. She first connected with the Upopolis team over eight years ago in her role as a super user for the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

During her downtime, she likes to spend time at the lake boating and doing water sports. 

Carley’s go to, is listing to music and writing -both things we love at Upopolis!

Program Facilitator

Korin Visca

Korin is a Program Facilitator on the Upopolis team, bringing over five years of experience supporting supporting children and families in pediatric healthcare through roles at Ronald McDonald House, SickKids, and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She is currently a Certified Child Life Specialist working in the Emergency Department at Michael Garron Hospital.

Korin was first introduced to the power of virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic, when staying connected was critical for patients and families. Her passion for using technology to enhance child life deepened during her time as a Child Life Assistant at SickKids, where she helped run SKOOP, the hospital’s in-house TV channel. She continues to integrate innovative tools—like VR—in her current work, seeing firsthand how technology can reduce stress and create meaningful engagement for youth in healthcare settings.

When Korin is feeling stressed she likes to stay active by going to the gym or for a walk and watch comforting tv shows/movies.

Your support is vital to our mission. Every donation helps us continue providing technology and support that significantly improves the lives of children and teens facing medical challenges. By contributing, you’re making a real difference. Please consider making a gift today to help us sustain and expand our programs. Donate now

Your generosity will bring hope and connection to those who need it most.