June 11, 2026

Dear CMV Canada community,

Summer is here, and CMV Canada has been busy!

As we mark CMV Awareness Month this June, we've been connecting with families across the country through Walk, Wheel or Wiggle events, raising awareness, and continuing our work toward a future where every baby is protected from congenital CMV. We've also watched Nibbles continue his mission to become Canada's most well-travelled beaver and had the privilege of recognizing Shane Smith's support of CMV Canada throughout his hockey career.

As we look ahead to Run With Rob and the CMV Canada Half Marathon, we're excited to share the updates, milestones, and community initiatives that continue to bring us together and move our mission forward.

Thank you for being part of it all.

With gratitude,

Kayla, Rachelle, Rob, and Nibbles 🦫

(The CMV Canada Team)

Thank You, Wigglers! 🌟

On June 7, CMV families, friends, and supporters came together for this year's Walk, Wheel or Wiggle, and we couldn't be more grateful.

Whether you joined one of our meetups in Montréal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, or Calgary, organized your own event, made a donation, or cheered us on from afar, thank you for helping make the day so special. Your fundraising efforts and support help us continue raising awareness of congenital CMV and connecting families across Canada.

As more babies are screened for congenital CMV across the country, we know more families will be looking for information, support, and connection. We would love to see Walk, Wheel or Wiggle grow alongside this community. If you have ideas for future events, new locations, or ways to get more people involved, we'd love to hear from you at info@cmvcanada.com.

One of the highlights of Walk, Wheel or Wiggle is seeing our community come together, and we're excited to share some photos from this year's gatherings.

Walk, Wheel or Wiggle Donations Open Until June 30 💙

Thanks to your generosity, we're almost there! Help us cross the finish line and reach our fundraising goal.

June is CMV Awareness Month 🌎

Each year, CMV organizations around the world come together to select a theme for CMV Awareness Month. This year's theme, Geography Should Not Decide, resonated with groups across the globe because it reflects a challenge faced by many families affected by congenital CMV.

No matter where you live, access to screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care can vary. Here in Canada, newborn CMV screening is available in some provinces but not others. In other parts of the world, families face different barriers, but the message remains the same: every child deserves the opportunity for early identification and access to appropriate care.

To help share this message, CMV Canada worked alongside organizations from around the world to create a short awareness video for CMV Awareness Month. Although our countries and healthcare systems may differ, we are united in our belief that a child's outcome should not be determined by where they are born.

We hope you'll take a moment to watch the video and share it with others. After all, awareness often starts with a single conversation.

Ask Me About CMV 🧢

One of the easiest ways to raise awareness is to talk about congenital CMV. Our Walk, Wheel or Wiggle hats are designed to do just that.

If someone asks about your hat, try one of these conversation starters:

• Have you ever heard of congenital CMV? Most people haven't.
• Did you know congenital CMV affects about 1 in 200 babies?
• Congenital CMV is a leading non-genetic cause of childhood hearing loss.
• More babies are born with congenital CMV than many better-known childhood conditions, yet most people have never heard of it.
• Most adults have had CMV at some point in their lives and never knew it.
• Babies with congenital CMV can look healthy at birth but still develop hearing loss or other challenges later in childhood.
• Identifying congenital CMV early allows families to access monitoring, interventions, and support as soon as possible.

And if you missed out on a Walk, Wheel or Wiggle hat, let us know! We still have a few extras available.

See You in Winnipeg! 🏃

The CMV Canada Half Marathon returns to Winnipeg on July 12!

This year, we're excited to add 5 km and 10 km distances alongside the half marathon, giving even more people the opportunity to participate.

Registration is now open on Race Roster, and we hope you'll join us for a great day of running, fundraising, and raising awareness of congenital CMV.

And for anyone who remembers last year's race weekend, we're pleased to announce that there is absolutely no chance of a blizzard the day before the event this year. We learned our lesson and scheduled it in July. ;)

Run With Rob Comes to Nova Scotia 🏃

We’re excited to bring Run With Rob to Nova Scotia this summer.

From July 19 to August 1, Rob will be running an ultramarathon every day for 14 days. Participants are invited to run alongside him for any distance that works for them. Simply register online, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Run With Rob is about more than kilometres. It's about raising awareness and starting conversations. As CMV Canada continues to advocate for universal newborn screening in the Maritimes, we hope this event helps shine a light on congenital CMV and the importance of early detection.

We would love to see people across Atlantic Canada take part and help spread the word. Tell your friends!

Congratulations, Shane! 🏒 

CMV Canada would like to congratulate Shane Smith on being named the recipient of the 2026 Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the WHL player who best demonstrates outstanding community service.

This season, Shane pledged to donate $25 for every point he scored in support of CMV Canada in honour of his niece, Maia. Through his efforts, he raised $1,800 while helping introduce countless hockey fans and families to a condition many people have never heard of.

We are incredibly grateful for Shane's support, generosity, and commitment to raising awareness of congenital CMV. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Shane, and thank you for making a difference for CMV families across Canada.

CMV Mission Possible 🎯

CMV Mission Possible is back for another summer!

Open throughout July and August, the program encourages children to set a personal goal and work toward achieving it over the summer. Participants who complete their mission will receive a special prize from CMV Canada.

Last summer, Spencer set a goal to join a sports team. He signed up for Challenger Baseball, where he learned new skills, made new friends, and achieved his goal.

We can't wait to see what this year's participants accomplish. For more information or to sign up, email us at info@cmvcanada.com.

Where Will Nibbles Go Next? 🦫

Nibbles is on a mission to become Canada's most well-travelled beaver, and he needs your help!

If you're heading out on a summer adventure, bring Nibbles along and snap a photo. Whether you're exploring a new city, visiting a local landmark, heading to camp, or relaxing at the lake, we'd love to see where Nibbles ends up.

Sharing photos of Nibbles is a fun way to spread awareness of congenital CMV and show that our community reaches across Canada and beyond. Send us your photos, and you may see your adventure featured in a future newsletter or on our social media channels.

Safe travels, Nibbles!

Here's Nibbles with his friend Gino in Victoria, BC.

We love hearing from our CMV Canada community! If you have any questions, ideas, or simply want to reach out, get in touch with us at info@cmvcanada.com.

Your thoughts and feedback are invaluable to us.

Until next time, stay connected, stay informed, and stay inspired.