“May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face. And may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.”

These words were so often quoted by Kam and in essence represented how he lived each and every day of his life. A free spirit with an amazing ability to see the world like few of us does, Kam truly was a kind-hearted soul who saw the beauty in everything and everyone, never to utter a negative word about anyone. Kam loved life and he lived every day like it was a gift. In effect, he was the gift that brought light into the lives of all he touched.

Kam was born in Richmond, British Columbia on December 14, 1979. He grew up in Boston Bar and then in Hope and moved to the lower mainland in 1991. In 2001, Kam met Sukhi. In each and every way she was the love of his life and his soul mate. They married in 2006 and with the birth of his daughters his life seemed complete. My oh my, did he love those girls, just like his passion for life he never took a single second in his daughters lives for granted; like Aneha’s first band-aid which he kept as a memento on the bathroom mirror. He was grateful to be a dad and he really was the happiest doing the simple things like strolling through the aisles of Home Depot or feeding the ducks at the local pond with his little girl.

Kam lived and loved like we all should. Unfortunately, he was taken away much too soon. Shortly after he was blessed by the birth of his second little girl, Kam was admitted to the hospital and quickly diagnosed with Lupus and a rare but fatal disease called HLH. For 10 weeks, Kam fought with unbelievable strength and resilience but sadly he left us on December 18, 2013 at the young age of 34.

Although, his time with us was short he left his mark on everyone who ever had the privilege to cross paths with him. Kam had this innate ability of connecting with every person he met, even if it was the briefest interaction, and because of this he touched so many lives. What Kam has left behind is a legacy of love to his family, friends and everyone who knew him. Kam was our gift, a true inspiration and someone who spread never-ending kindness and love. It is now our responsibility to do like Kam would do, and not remember him in sadness but keep his memory alive and help find a cure to this rare but deadly disease.

In memory of Kam’s life, a fund has been established to raise money for research into Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), the disease that took Kam from his family at such a young age.

HLH is a rare condition whereby certain white blood cells (histiocytes and lymphocytes) build up in organs including the skin, spleen, and liver, and destroy other blood cells. This causes severe inflammation and damage to many organs including the brain, liver, bone marrow and the lymphatic system. HLH may be inherited or caused by certain conditions or diseases including infections and immunodeficiency (inability of the body to fight infections). Presently, little is known about the disorder. Further research is needed to develop a better understanding of the disease, so that more effective treatments can be developed.

Donations will support UBC researchers to create specialized tests – currently unavailable in BC – to help diagnose and manage HLH so that future patients have the best possible health outcomes.

Your gift will pay tribute to Kam’s memory while helping to support other patients faced with this condition.

Kam is deeply missed by all who knew him. Please make a gift in memory of his life and help researchers make inroads into this devastating disease.