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Jessica through to the live final! Be an audience member.
(l-r) Jessica Kurten with ICA mentor Marie McGuirk
We had snappy lobsters, custard, muck, a wall-papering contest, the make and model challenge where bedsheets were transformed into party outfits and finally the offal dish!!
Show-jumper Jessica Kurten has qualified for the Grand Final of Charity ICA Bootcamp. Jessica will now face the public vote for the grand title of Charity ICA Bootcamp Recruit of the Year 2011.
By getting into the final Jessica has secured MS Ireland €20,000 and more will come through the proceeds from the voting in the live finals. Jessica is raising money for the Friends of the MS Care Centre appeal, which will help fund essential repairs and maintenance in the only respite and therapy centre for people with MS in Ireland.
The live finals will be presented by Blaithnaid Ní Chófaigh, the final week of ICA Bootcamp will unfold over three live episodes on the 16th, 17th and 20th of August at 9:30pm on RTÉ One.
Supporters Needed!!
We are looking for supporters to join us to cheer Jessica on through the live finals in An Grianan, ICA HQ in Termonfeckin, Co Louth. Complimentary buses will be leaving and returning to Dublin city centre. The audience area is accessible to wheelchairs. If you want to come along to the live finals next week, contact Eilish on 01 678 1600 or by email. Looking forward to seeing you there!
To Vote for Jessica
Text: ICA 2 to 53125
In the ROI Call: 1513 71 71 02
Northern Ireland voters Call: 0901 6565 802
Show-jumper Jessica chooses MS Ireland for RTE’s Charity ICA Bootcamp...
Communication on the progress to date...
and the lucky winners are...
National Chairman wins International Award
(l-r) Allen O’Connor was presented with MSIF’s 2011 James D. Wolfensohn Award for International Person with MS by Peer Baneke of MSIF
MS Ireland is delighted to announce that Chairman Allen O'Connor has been declared the 2011 winner of the James D Wolfensohn Award for International Person with MS. The award, presented by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF), recognises the valuable contribution people with MS make to the worldwide fight against MS.
Allen has been active at a local, national and international front, continuously advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and people with MS. In his time he has been involved in many Irish organizations such as the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities and the Disabled Drivers Association. He has also held posts in the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP) and MSIF.
It was in 1993 that Allen first became involved with MS Ireland, first as a local branch treasurer, followed by National Treasurer. He became a Director in 1999 and was elected Chairman in 2002. He is currently Chairman of the organisation. This is indeed his second term as Chairman.
Allen says he is humbled to have received the award,
"I am truly honoured to win the award. There are so many of us who try to make the voice of people with MS heard in their own countries and abroad. I believe passionately that people with MS can live positive, fruitful lives with the correct support. I hope I have play a part in ensuring that support is there for people with MS and their families.”
Allen lives in Cork with his wife June. They have two adult children, Gayle and Shane. He became a grandfather in 2010. He is a retired bank manager. Allen was diagnosed with MS in 1985 after a number of personal tragedies.
The Wolfensohn Award is a biennial award made by MSIF to recognise the valuable contribution people with MS make to the worldwide fight against the disease. The award is named after James D. Wolfensohn, former President of MSIF.
Peer Baneke, MSIF Chief Executive, said, “So many people with MS drive the worldwide fight against the disease. The Wolfensohn Award exists to shine a light on them. All the nominees this year showed remarkable qualities, but Allen stood out because of his tireless campaigning for people with disabilities, both in Ireland and internationally, and his leadership of MS organisations".
Further Informaton:
View video
Read more about Allen and his achievements
MS Ireland joins coalition of patient groups to launch initiative to fight for rights of people in chronic pain.
Answer Ireland’s Call: Annalisa Flanagan, Co. Down, holder of the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s loudest shout, joined forces today with former Ireland Rugby International Malcolm O’Kelly to launch a new health awareness campaign entitled Can You Feel My Pain?
MS Ireland has joined forces with Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, Chronic Pain Ireland and leading Patient Advocacy Groups and Citizen Organisations across Europe to raise awareness and generate support for the 13% of people living with chronic pain in Ireland today.
The Can You Feel My Pain? campaign will harness the huge opportunity presented by the Internet and social networks to reach a wide audience, raising awareness and generating support for real change in the field of chronic pain.
The campaign is hosted on the Chronic Pain Ireland website and we’re asking all our members to play a vital role by signing the petition online
The ‘Bill of Rights’ – a chance to register your support
The Bill of Right consists of five key rights that we believe will help improve quality of life for those affected by chronic pain. These rights draw upon examples from other organisations (European Charter of Patients’ Rights2 and Chronic Pain Ireland’s Charter of Rights3) and call for improvements in the understanding and management of chronic pain.
Getting involved – the vital role you can play
Many of you will have experienced first-hand the dramatic impact chronic pain can have on all aspects of life. To fight for improvements in the management of chronic pain we first need to improve awareness and understanding.
By signing up to the Bill of Rights, you’ll be helping to drive change in the way chronic pain is perceived and the priority it is given. It’s time to make a difference and have your say!
Further reading:
Download CYFMP Press Release
References
1 Breivik H, Collett B, Ventafridda V, Cohen R, Gallacher D. Survey of chronic pain in Europe: prevalence, impact on daily life, and treatment. Eur J Pain 2006;10:287-333.
2 ‘European Charter of Patients’ Rights’ Active Citizenship Network, 2002. http://www.chronicpainireland.org/index.php?q=membership. Last accessed July 010www.adexo.pt/internacional/EuropeanCharterofPatientsRightsEnglish.pdf. Last accessed July 2010
3 ‘Charter of Rights for people living with Chronic Pain’ Chronic Pain Ireland
The campaign is being launched nationally by Chronic Pain Ireland with support from Pfizer Healthcare Ireland
MS Ireland warmly welcomes people with MS and their families to a national day of MS information, research and social opportunities.
Research funded by MS Ireland sheds light on secondary progressive MS
MS Ireland is delighted to announce results of a research project part funded by the Society which has discovered a possible connection between the signally pathway in the brain and the grey matter lesions that characterise MS.
The findings come from a research team in the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering and Science, NUI Galway, led by neuroscientist Dr Una FitzGerald and carried out by Dr. Jill McMahon, in collaboration with Dr Stephen McQuaid from Queen’s University Belfast. The research project “Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress as a component of neurodegeneration in MS grey matter lesions”, is one of only two research projects in the world examining the role of ER stress in grey matter lesions in MS.
The Irish research shows that lesions formed in the grey matter of the brain might be associated with a signalling pathway called endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Higher levels of ER stress were discovered in lesioned areas in the grey matter of the brain in those with secondary progressive MS. MS is characterised by lesions, or a loss of myelin, in the central nervous system. This myelin speeds up nerve impulse production, and this is what gets damaged in the case of MS.
Read the full press release here.
Read the research team’s final report.
Read the Irish Times article on the research.
MS Ireland would like to thank our Voluntary Branches and other supporters who have contributed to our research fund. Each year MS Ireland supports a number of research projects. Read more about our funded projects here. If you would like more information or wish to make a donation to our fund, please contact Taragh Donohoe on 01 678 1600 or email
We’ve received a lot of queries over the last week from parents and teachers asking if it’s too late to send back entries for the MS READaTHON. It’s never too late to send back entries so if you still have outstanding forms to send in, please send them into us and remember, no matter how late we receive entries, all participants will still receive their Thank You Gift and Certificate.
The Great Prize Draw will take place on Tuesday 25th January and winners will be announced on RTE 2’s“Elev8” at 4.30pm. Good luck to everyone who participated!