Meet the Midwives

Carlie Sanford, RM, IBCLC

Team Cedar

It is my pleasure to be joining the team at qathet Midwifery as of January 2024. I look forward to serving the families of this beautiful community, and to be living and working on the traditional lands of the Tla'amin people.

I grew up on the Sunshine Coast myself, and am overjoyed to return home and to a more quiet/rural area to raise my own family.

I am both a Midwife and Lactation Consultant, and have been working in the lower mainland for the past five years gaining experience and serving a large variety of families from diverse backgrounds. Prior to that, I spent time in various small communities such as Salt Spring Island, Seabird Island, and Sechelt.

Working with families during the transformation of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum is my great privilege and passion, and I look forward to joining you on your journey!

Aly Jones, RM

Team Cedar

Aly (she/her) is a settler born of Danish and English ancestry, raised in Naramata BC on the unceded territory of the Sylix people. She graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery in 2009. Aly strongly believes in providing respectful care for every individual regardless of their socio-economic status, gender, sexuality, race, culture, or religion.  She is passionate about informed choice and autonomy in healthcare.

When she’s not catching babies, you can find her cooking up yummy feasts with her wife and baby, mountain biking, camping, gardening, and playing the fiddle.

Mandy Verghese, RM

Team Huckleberry

It is one of my greatest pleasures to journey with women and their families as they grow, birth, and raise their babies.

I grew up in Richmond, BC and Germany and have lived and breathed birthwork since my teenage years when I attended my first birth as a doula fresh out of high school. I began my midwifery training in Scotland in 2012, followed by the UBC bridging program for internationally-educated midwives. After working for many years in the Lower Mainland, we made the best decision to move to Powell River in 2022. In addition to midwifery, I am also a womb continuum practitioner, offering private manual therapy for women, specializing in posture and uterine alignment, abdominal care, and pelvic health.

Along with my 15 years of experience in birth work, I have journeyed the intensity of birth and transformation of motherhood twice. Both of my births nurtured faith, intuition and self-responsibility; values that I encourage in my clients as well.

Outside of midwifery I teach manual therapy and craft herbal medicines all while loving my husband and kids, and enjoying Powell River.

Elisha Manson, RM

Team Huckleberry | Locum Mar 2026-Dec 2026

I am grateful for the invitation to join your qathet Midwifery Care Team!

After a long maternity leave – I am back, and looking forward to spending this next chapter with you.

In brief, my education consists of undergraduate degrees in Gender Studies and Midwifery, and a Masters’s in Health Administration, from UBC. However, it is from client’s and their families’ where I have learned how to be a midwife, striving - always – to provide person-centered care.

Beyond Midwifery, I am hoping to complete my red seal in Carpentry.

In the meantime, my two children and two piglets keep me busy!

Eline Vonk, RM

Team Huckleberry | Maternity leave until Jan 2027

I am thrilled to have found and joined qathet Midwifery Care after moving to the qathet region and I am grateful to live and work on the traditional lands of the Tla'amin people.

I am originally a Dutch midwife and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Midwifery in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Looking back, I am in awe that I could work and learn from such an established and ancient birthing culture. Coming to Canada in 2018, I studied Public Health and behavioural change with the University of Maastricht until I enrolled in the UBC Internationally Educated Midwifery Bridging Program. My last two years before moving up to The Sunshine Coast have been with a busy and vibrant practice in Vancouver. I have a natural interest in diversity and culture and I am privileged that this brought me to work as well in Uganda, the Caribbean and India.

I feel incredibly committed to be working with families and I value providing care that feels informed, connected and empowering.

When I am not working, you can find me on my sailboat, doing pottery and going for long walks in nature.

Kayley Redgers, RM

Locum

I graduated from Laurentian University’s Bachelor of Science in Midwifery program in 2015 and bring experience from a wide range of practice settings and now work as a locum in BC.

My work has included urban and rural communities as well as remote fly-in communities in Nunavut. These experiences have shaped a grounded, adaptable approach to care that centres informed choice and respect for each family’s needs and values.

In addition to clinical practice, I work with the University of British Columbia as the Lead Clinical Placement Coordinator, supporting midwifery students in their clinical training.
Originally from Toronto, I have called qathet home for the past two years and continue to feel increasingly connected to this community.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find me cooking up a feast, juggling multiple creative projects (often involving growing/harvesting and making dye), or studying functional medicine.

Provisional + Student Midwives

  • Gillian Prouse, RM (P)

    Provisional Midwife | Jul - Aug 2027 | Completing a return to practice

    Joining our practice over the summer is Gillian, who brings over a decade of birth experience. Having started attending births in her teens, she graduated from UBC’s Midwifery program in 2018 and practised as a registered midwife in Vancouver.

    Birth is the ultimate teacher and Gillian cherishes what each birth she has attended has taught her. As a former Lundie, she is excited to delve back into birth work here in qathet, after taking a break while becoming a mom herself and raising a now 5 year old.

    Outside of work, she finds joy in her weekly singing group, fancying herself a weekend farmer with a mini orchard, and seeing the world through the eyes of her ever-curious child.

    She will be with us July and August as she completes her placement in her return to midwifery practice.

  • Charlotte Danks

    4th Year Student Midwife | Sept - May 2027

    Hi everyone, my name is Charlotte and I’m thrilled to be joining the qathet midwives for my fourth year of midwifery school.

     I grew up in qathet and it feels so special to get to return home to learn and support families in my home community during final year of school!

    I came to midwifery with a passion for women’s health and reproductive rights.

    I’m especially passionate about informed choice, supporting home birth, and ensuring every client feels heard, respected, and empowered to make decisions that are right for them.

     When I’m not working, you’ll probably find me at the beach or at the thrift store!

Maternity Care in Powell River

Hospital Births

Any care you receive while in the hospital will be carried out by the midwife or family physician on call that day, with shared care from our obstetrician if needed.

Home Births

The midwives are on call 24/7 for planned home births.