If you've ever wondered what kind of difference one person can make, look no further than the impact Ms. Maryann Murray has made on patient safety.

Last July, Ms. Murray had the opportunity to meet with her local Member of Parliament, Mr. David Sweet, and share her concerns regarding harm in the Canadian healthcare system. She talked about her involvement in Patients for Patient Safety Canada, and the work the Canadian Patient Safety Institute and others are doing to improve patient safety in Canada. She also left him with a fact sheet on patient safety, which demonstrates the magnitude of the problem.

Ms. Murray knows this first-hand. Her daughter Martha died in 2002, after a series of errors. She since joined Patients for Patient Safety Canada with a desire to ensure what happened to Martha doesn't happen to anyone else.

The encounter obviously left a definite impression on Mr. Sweet, who shared the details of their meeting with Ms. Murray with the Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor, the federal Minister of Health. In turn, she responded with a letter back to Ms. Murray thanking her for her efforts to improve Canada's healthcare system (click the thumbnail above to see the letter).

Since joining Patients for Patient Safety Canada, Ms. Murray has been a champion for patient safety in healthcare, both at home and abroad. Her dedication to the cause is remarkable and is noticed by everyone she meets. Her story was also featured in the debut episode of CPSI's PATIENT podcast.

She is living proof of the difference one person can make.