Daughter, sister, cousin, friend, artist, actor, fashionista, face painter extraordinaire. Born March 31, 1984, in New Westminster, B.C. Died March 27 in Vancouver of cystic fibrosis, aged 25.
Eva lived passionately and with purpose, leaving a legacy of love and making a difference in the lives of thousands of people in her personal life and in her online community. She was defined by her challenges related to cystic fibrosis, yet soared above the limitations the disease imposed. Her magnetic personality drew people in at every turn.
Eva grew up in New Westminster, B.C., one of three children of Janet Brine and Bill Markvoort. She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a one-year-old.
Apathy was never in Eva’s vocabulary. She always had a project, and if she didn’t she created one. At B.C. Children’s Hospital, she commandeered her sister to paint her room with a Little Mermaid scene.
Eva applied this creativity and fun to her jobs. She loved to work with children – as a summer day-camp leader, playground supervisor, drama-program organizer and birthday-party fairy. These jobs allowed her to interact with people, engage them in her flair for the fanciful – and be the boss.
Eva became informed and then passionate about social justice after seeing the musical Show Boat at the age of 10. She wore the diamond tiara as Miss New Westminster for a year and became involved in conflict resolution programs and Youth in Action conferences. She was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Award in 2002, one of its youngest recipients.
Eva’s true love was for acting. She was ecstatic at being accepted into theatre at the University of Victoria in 2002. She immersed herself in drama and the faculty was extremely accommodating as her health declined.
Eventually Eva realized she would be unable to pursue acting as a career. When friends offered to do a documentary film about her wait for a lung transplant, she jumped at the chance. It gave her a focus during a difficult phase of her life. The documentary, 65_RedRoses, won numerous awards and has been broadcast on TV stations worldwide.
Eva received a new lease on life with her double lung transplant in October, 2007. She dyed her hair bright red, worked on completing her degree, moved out and travelled. In 2009, she was offered her dream job in Toronto as a counsellor for Camp Oochigeas, working with children in the cancer ward at Sick Kids Hospital.
But it was not to be. In mid-August, 2009, Eva was diagnosed with chronic lung rejection and she died while waiting for a second transplant. As her health failed she began an online journal at 65redroses.livejournal.com, where she documented her thoughts and emotions in a haunting, poetic style. She has left an incredible legacy as a result of her advocacy for cystic fibrosis and organ donation, and she has enriched the lives of all who knew and loved her.
By Janet Brine and Bill Markvoort, Eva’s parents.
