June 18, 2009 Michael AugustineLisez en Francais
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Yves Savoie and MS Society volunteers Janet MacNeil, Jeanette Elliott, and Michael Augustine joined the Hon. Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, far right, for the announcement. |
On June 5, I, along with a small delegation from the MS Society, was present for a momentous announcement by The Hon. Leona Aglukkaq, Federal Minister of Health, regarding the Government’s commitment to invest $15 Million CDN to study the impact of neurological disease on Canadians.
The four-year national population study will provide key information to improve current knowledge about the prevalence, risk factors, use of health services, economic cost, and impact of neurological conditions currently and projected over the next 20 years. A comprehensive report will be published in the final year of the study.
“This commitment would not be possible without the leadership and guidance of Neurological Health Charities Canada (NHCC), in which the MS Society plays an active role,” said Yves Savoie, President and CEO of the MS Society of Canada. NHCC is a collective of organizations that represent people with chronic, often progressive, neurological and/or neuromuscular diseases, disorders, conditions and injuries in Canada.
All I know is that, as much as this is astounding news to all Canadians living with MS, including myself, for me the true highlight of that day came when that same Federal Minister gave my bald head a discreet and unexpected little noogie as we posed together for the photo below.
Life NEVER ceases to amaze me!
Irreverently yours,
Aug, who thinks the government is now “headed” in the right direction...
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