Our Ambassadors
We are motivated by our BMHAW Ambassadors who are helping to make our community better by sharing their personal stories. Through their open conversations, leadership, and engagement they are helping us spread the message and raise awareness to reduce stigma to mental health and addiction needs of our community. Listen to their stories during the week, you will be inspired!
Dr. Shakil Amin (he/him)
Shakil, his wife Dr. Fauzia Sajjad and his son Kaiser, have been living in Banff since 2013. He has been actively involved in the community, currently sitting on the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital Community Board, the Police Advisory Board, and the Settlement Group. His personal experiences and knowledge in the health care system as well as being a former health care provider adds to his perspective when serving on these boards. In his free time Shakil enjoys cooking, spending time with his family and taking in the beautiful mountain views.
J.P. Middlelton (he/him)
J.P. believes that you must always find the good in things. Which is how he is living his life following a ski accident that left him with a complete spinal cord injury in March 2018. From practitioner turned patient, J.P. is a highly trained firefighter and primary care paramedic, who now advocates to help others who face accessibility issues in the town of Banff.
His personal journey following his accident taught him to accept loss and the life-long limitations of a severe physical disability and the associated mental trauma. He says that “a spinal cord injury is 90% mental struggle and a 10% physical struggle”.
He is a devoted father of two boys (8 and 5) and husband to Katrin. What does he do in his spare time…rips around on his bike and remains an avid, adaptive skier, mountain biker and traveler. Setting the bar even higher for himself, his entrepreneurial ambitions has him currently developing a fully accessible B&B in Banff to serve those with disabilities.
Maykaylah Rogers (they/them)
Makaylah is a non-binary, neurodivergent, trauma survivor who has lived in the Bow Valley since 2016. They have struggled with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation from a very young age, and was diagnosed with complex PTSD as well. They have been on their own healing path after leaving behind a history of trauma and abuse. Makaylah is passionate about breaking down stigma and fostering open, empathy-based conversations in our community to amplify the voices of those who feel unheard. Makaylah has 12 years of social-business and facilitation experience, and is a local voice for inclusivity, well-being and belonging through their businesses, Frankie D’s Donuts and Scale Naturally Consulting. Their advocacy work spans vital topics such as anxiety & depression, mental illness, suicide prevention, neurodiversity, 2SLGBTQIA+ education, sexual violence prevention and more. Additionally, their business Frankie D's Donuts is on a mission to reduce loneliness…one Donut at a time. Their made-from-scratch Donuts serve as a conduit for connection among people, emphasizing the importance of community and fostering meaningful connections.