Dr. Julie Robillard is recognized by the ALS Society of BC for her leadership initiatives

APRIL 3, 2019 – Dr. Julie Robillard, a Vancouver Resident, is the principle investigator in the “Characterizing the Impact of Respite Care in ALS (CIRCA)” project. She took the lead in developing the program, and securing the ethics approval from UBC in order to proceed with the project. For her outstanding leadership, Dr. Robillard was awarded with the Dr. Andrew Eisen Leadership Development Award at the ALS Society of BC Awards Ceremony.

“Respite care is a critical issue for the ALS community, since it can play a huge role in improving the quality of life for people living with ALS. It also reduces burden for caregivers, which in turn can benefit ALS patients,” said Dr. Robillard. “I chose to help lead this work as it is a topic I’m very interested in. In my research program on the impact of brain health interventions, I believe it’s critical to learn directly from patients and their families as they are the true experts!”

When asked how she feels about receiving this award, Dr. Robillard answered, “I am very honoured to be receiving this award, which, in reality, belongs to the entire team. The team, including co-leads Drs. Bannerman and Eisen, and our wonderful staff and research assistants have done an amazing job of capturing the voices of the ALS community in BC.”

“The CIRCA project will provide data for ALS BC to build a business plan in the hope to provide increased support for ALS caregivers in the home, sustainably,” says Wendy Toyer, Executive Director of the ALS Society of BC.

The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding leadership development of a new ALS program or service initiated and implemented by an individual or chapter.

The awards night for the ALS Society of BC was held on April 2, 2019 at Quilchena Golf & Country Club, to recognize the involvement of volunteers and donors in supporting the cause.

About ALS Society of BC

The ALS Society of BC is dedicated to providing direct support to ALS patients, along with their families and caregivers, to ensure the best quality of life possible while living with ALS. Through assisting research, we are committed to finding the cause of, and cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

About Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or motor neuron disease) is a disease that gradually 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. ALS is not contagious. There is no effective treatments for ALS and no cure, yet. Approximately 80 per cent of people with ALS die within two to five years of being diagnosed.

For more information, contact:

Wendy Toyer, Executive Director
ALS Society of BC
w.toyer@alsbc.ca
604-278-2257 ext. 222