TORONTO, Sept. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada) and the Kevin Daly Bursary Fund are proud to announce the 2024 ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary recipients. Four post-secondary students with a personal connection to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been awarded $2,500 bursaries, totaling $10,000, to support their studies for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Now in its second year, the ability to award more bursaries has increased thanks to the kindness of the community, including contributions from TELUS employees. Established in 2023 to honour Kevin, a devoted father and husband diagnosed with ALS in 2020, the Bursary Program has made a significant impact by supporting seven students in total who have been affected by ALS through a loved one's diagnosis.
“ALS Canada is honoured to work alongside Kevin, as well as his family, friends, and colleagues, to create this legacy by empowering students who are passionate about making a difference in contributing to a world free of ALS,” says Tammy Moore, CEO at ALS Canada. “An ALS diagnosis can be devastating for a family, upending dreams for the future. This initiative helps alleviate some of the financial burdens of post-secondary education and has the potential to support the next generation of leaders in ALS care and research.”
This year’s recipients have demonstrated exceptional dedication to advancing the care and treatment of people living with ALS through their involvement in community fundraising events, awareness building, and volunteering. They intend to carry forward this commitment as they advance in their lives and education.
“For anyone with ALS, the steady progression of the disease requires a constantly increasing amount of support. Much of that support is provided by the family, and it's often the young adults in the house who go unnoticed,” says Kevin Daly. “For people taking on a caregiver role but wanting to start the next phase of their own life, the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary is to help them relieve some of the financial burdens of post-secondary education. It's exciting to see how their choices in university are focused on improving the lives of those with ALS.”
More than 4,000 Canadians are living with ALS, a disease that progressively paralyzes individuals by preventing the brain from communicating with the muscles. As a result, people with ALS often face a swift decline in the ability to talk, walk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe. There is currently no cure for the disease that carries a lifetime risk of 1 in 300 for each of us.
2024 recipients
Emma Heaney, 23, is beginning her first year of study for a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, and completed a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies at the University of Waterloo. Motivated by her father Brian, who has lived with ALS for more than 14 years, Emma intends to pursue a career in occupational therapy to provide adaptive support to people living with disabilities, helping them feel included and fulfilled in life.
“I am honoured to be a recipient of the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary. I will put this bursary towards completing my Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, which I am starting this fall,” says Emma Heaney. “Throughout my career as an occupational therapist, I want to help people with ALS and their families in the same way others in this field have done for my dad and my family. I know that my personal experiences will help me to make a positive impact on the ALS community. I am proud to represent my dad, Brian Heaney, through receiving this award, and I am committed to a world free of ALS.”
While assisting his father, Dennis, in preparing his will before he passed away in 2023, 24-year-old Tristan Hopkins was inspired to pursue a career in law to help other families in need of end-of-life legal aid, by focusing on wills and estates. Tristan is entering his second year in the Juris Doctor law program at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. In addition, Tristan has mentored students experiencing health issues within their families.
“I am grateful for the support of Kevin Daly, his family, and the ALS Society of Canada for supporting my education through the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary,” says Tristan Hopkins. “I now have the privilege of continuing my education during the most difficult period of my family's life. I am motivated to use this scholarship to ensure my family can live a happy and healthy life – the one my father envisioned for us. I hope that other students can benefit from this scholarship in the future and that they can feel hope while navigating uncertain times.”
Alexandra McLaren, 24, is starting her third year of the MD program at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She has already completed a Master of Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Science Honours at Queen’s University. Influenced by her father, Alexander, who passed away from ALS, Alexandra intends to dedicate her life to supporting people facing neurologic diagnoses as a neurologist.
“I am deeply appreciative of the generosity of the Daly family and ALS Canada to financially support me on my journey to becoming a neurologist, a specialty that is near and dear to my heart,” says Alexandra McLaren. “I was honoured to receive this bursary in recognition of my resilience, and I feel empowered to follow my dreams with confidence. The kindness of the Daly family is inspirational, and I hope to one day help students achieve their goals and help alleviate financial burden just as they have helped me.”
At 17, Zachary Wood is beginning his post-secondary career at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where he is studying engineering. His father, Peter, has been living with ALS for 10 years, and witnessing the impact of technology on his father's daily life managing disease symptoms has fueled Zachary's passion for engineering. He aims to build groundbreaking projects to make a difference in people's lives.
“I was eight when my father was diagnosed with ALS. It robbed me of years of him being active in my life,” says Zachary Wood. “I will study engineering with the hope of having the tools to develop devices to help people with disabilities. The ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary will significantly help me realize that goal.”
For more information about the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary, visit als.ca/bursaries.
About ALS and the ALS Society of Canada
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an unrelenting and currently terminal disease. It progressively paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body that we are typically able to move at will. Over time, as the muscles of the body break down, someone living with ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe. Nearly 4,000 Canadians live with ALS and approximately 1,000 Canadians are diagnosed each year. Four out of five people living with ALS will die within two to five years of their diagnosis.
The ALS Society of Canada is working to change what it means to live with ALS. Grounded in and informed by the Canadian ALS community, we respond to the urgent unmet need for life-changing treatments by investing in high-quality research that will fuel scientific discovery and by engaging industry, supporting increased clinical capacity, and advocating for equitable, affordable, and timely access to proven therapies.
Responding to the tremendous need for current and credible ALS knowledge, awareness, and education, we empower Canadians affected by ALS to navigate the current realities of ALS, be informed consumers of ALS information, and advocate effectively for change. In Ontario, we provide direct community services to help people navigate ALS.
Founded in 1977, we are a registered charity that receives no core government funding – our work is powered by generous donors who share our vision of a world free of ALS.
Join the conversation and connect with the ALS community online. Find ALS Canada on X, Instagram, or like our page on Facebook. Visit als.ca to find out more.
For more information
ALS Society of Canada
media@als.ca
437-703-5402
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
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