Frankie Edroff

Frankie Edroff (formerly Jeneece Edroff OBC MSC born January 20, 1994) is a Canadian philanthropist who has fundraised over a million dollars for Variety, the Children's Charity. He was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame in 2006 and awarded with multiple medals including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

Frankie Edroff
Born
Jeneece Edroff

(1994-01-20) January 20, 1994
Victoria, British Columbia
NationalityCanadian
Occupationphilanthropist

Early life and education

Edroff was born on January 20, 1994, in Victoria, British Columbia. When he was three years old, Edroff was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis. At the age of seven, he started a penny drive to raise money for Variety, the Children's Charity.[1] He went to Claremont Secondary School in Victoria[2] and completed a food course at the Camosun College in December 2014.[1]

Career

Throughout his childhood, Edroff has raised over a million dollars for Variety. In 2009, Edroff was a torch bearer and lit the Olympic cauldron at the British Columbia Parliament Buildings for the 2010 Winter Olympics.[3] In 2012, Jeneece Place at the Victoria General Hospital was opened for Edroff's eighteenth birthday.[2] Edroff opened Jeneece Place to provide short-term housing for families of Victoria, British Columbia when their children undergo medical treatments.[4]

Awards and honours

Edroff was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame in 2006[5] and awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2010.[6] Other awards Edroff was presented with include the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012[7] and the Meritorious Service Cross in 2016 for civil work.[8]

Personal life

In 2012, Edroff went for a medical consultation at the Mayo Clinic for his spine and leg. Edroff had previous surgeries at the British Columbia Children's Hospital when he was young.[9] In 2018, he came out as a transgender man and is now using the name Frankie.[10] In 2019, a documentary about Edroff's gender transitioning was released.[11]

References
  1. Bell, Jeff (24 January 2015). "Jeneece Edroff turns 21 with 'cool' honour". Times Colonist. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  2. Bell, Jeff (20 January 2012). "Jeneece Edroff's super 18th birthday". Times Colonist. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  3. Arrais, Pedro (8 October 2009). "Fundraising teen to light capital's Olympic cauldron". Times Colonist. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  4. "Jeneece Place". Children's Health Foundation of Vancouver Island. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  5. "Previous Hall of Fame Inductees". Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  6. "2010 Recipient: Frankie Edroff - Victoria". Order of British Columbia. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  7. "Jeneece Edroff". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. "Presentation of Honours in Edmonton". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  9. Shearer, Brent (4 November 2012). "Specialist visit made possible for girl with rare disease". CTV British Columbia. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  10. Wong, Kendra (June 25, 2018). "Vancouver Island's 'Penny Girl' comes out as transgender, hopes to inspire others". Victoria News. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  11. Grossman, Nina (July 28, 2019). "VIDEO: Gender transition of Victoria's 'Penny Girl' detailed in short documentary". Victoria News. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
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