Throwback to one of Luis’ favourite bike rides with his daughter Roxana.
Luis Miño loved cycling, dancing, cooking traditional Chilean foods like empanadas (hand-held meat pies), and a good joke.
And, he loved his large family. An eternal optimist, Luis, his wife Maria Eugenia, and their four young children Roxana, Rodrigo, Claudia and Viviana, left the temperate climate of Chile and arrived in Winnipeg in December 3, 1978. Brrrrrr.
Although Luis and Maria Eugenia did not speak English when they arrived in Canada, the young family thrived. They eventually settled in Edmonton, Alberta, where they loved for forty years. More recently, Luis and Maria Eugenia moved to the smaller community of Calmar, Alberta, moving in with their eldest daughter Roxana Rohuede and her husband Richard.
Like most new Canadians, the Miños worked hard. Among many jobs, Luis was most often employed as a glazier, or glass-cutter, and installing windows and doors. Eventually he ran his own small glazier business until winding down towards retirement in 2019.
He and Maria Eugenia raised their children, welcomed 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Last summer, they celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. Luis never expected the health challenges that marked his last five years, but he faced them with humour, bravery and hope.
Luis’ PF journey
Frequent colds and bouts of bronchitis in 2019, were Luis’ earliest symptoms that something was not right. After watching a documentary about a glazier with similar symptoms, who was eventually diagnosed with COPD, Roxana urged her father to raise the issue with his doctor. He did.
Testing for COPD led to a referral to a respiratory specialist in 2020, who confirmed that Luis had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). He was 69 years old.
“I was at that appointment,” says daughter Roxana. “My parents and I were all in shock. The doctor told us it was a terminal illness, but there were some treatments to slow the progression of the disease and that my father should do what he could, to live his best life now.”
Luis started on anti-fibrotic medication right away. He had regular blood work and medical appointments to monitor his condition.
Humour and cycling helped
“Dad loved to ride his bike,” says Roxana. “He’d had one since the eighties in Canada. He eventually upgraded that first bicycle to something more modern. As it got more difficult to ride, he was excited to get an e-bike and continue those outings.” He rode with a backpack for his oxygen and family members often joined him.
Although his diagnosis was a shock, he didn’t show it. He was optimistic from the beginning. “He’d joke with the grandchildren that there were bees buzzing around in his lungs making honey.” Likely a reference to the “honeycombing” that showed up in his CT scans.
“I think deep down he was scared,” says Roxana, “but in the early years of his illness, he was hopeful and there were plenty of happy occasions.” In 2022, Luis and Maria celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and new greatgrandchildren arrived in 2023 and 2025. Roxana’s sister Claudia married in a traditional Chilean huaso ceremony. And her father danced at the wedding.
Luis’ decline and transplant assessment
In 2025, Luis’ oxygen levels dropped very low. He started home oxygen and underwent a transplant assessment just as Alberta’s age limitations for lung transplants were changing.
At first he was told he was not as sick as some others, and as his disease progressed further, he may get on the transplant list. However, his transplant assessment revealed other health considerations that meant he was not a candidate for lung transplant.
“We found out on December 23, 2025, that he was denied the transplant listing,” says Roxana. “I could see the hope fade in my father then.” Luis passed away on February 1, 2026.
“Of course, we were all devastated,” says Roxana. “Until his last few months, most of the family had been in a sort of state of denial about his illness. We knew it was terminal, but there was not much we could do.”
Honouring Luis’ memory
Roxana first came across the CPFF Facebook page after her father’s passing. That’s where she learned about the Edmonton Walk for PF and decided her family should put together a team to honour their Tata’s memory. (Tata means father or grandfather in Latin America.)
The family also wanted to increase awareness of CPFF and raise funds to support the cause. So far, the family team has raised $1,115, more than double their $500 goal. “We are so grateful to the friends and family who have supported us and made donations to CPFF.” (You can make a donation to the family’s team effort until early October, 2026.)
The Miño family team show off their t-shirts as they honour the memory of their Tata Luis Miño at the Edmonton event on June 27.
From left to right: Claudia (daughter), Maria Eugenia (wife), Luis (son-in-law), Meghan (grand- daughter), Alondra (a favourite dance partner of Luis’ and Richard’s sister), Richard (son-in-law), and Roxana (eldest daughter).
Claudia designed t-shirts for the team with Luis’ photo and in his favorite colour of royal blue. They also made blue-red ribbons to wear in his honour. They brought extra ribbons to give others at the Meet and Greet indoor gathering that replaced the rained out Walk event on June 27.
Family members also wear the t-shirts and ribbons around town to increase PF awareness. “One day my husband was out wearing his t-shirt and a man approached him. His mother had recently been diagnosed with PF and they exchanged stories,” remarks Roxana.
The indoor event in Edmonton was comforting and hopeful, says Roxana. “It helped us not feel so alone when we met other families who were there to honour people they had lost to this disease. My Mom even spoke with other widows.”
As they grieve and heal, the Miño family is keeping his name alive, sharing his story and letting others know that CPFF has helpful information and resources, and is funding research to improve treatments, and ultimately find a cure.
Advice for others
Visit the CPFF website and Facebook page for support and information. Join a support group for patients and/or caregivers.
“Take the time to really be with your loved one. Enjoy their company,” says Roxana. “And take videos, as well as photos. I really miss hearing my father’s voice. And, be patient, not everyone talks about how they are feeling.”
You may also want to adopt Luis’ favourite saying: Always upward! No matter what.