People with Disabilities

2019 Janna Epp Bursary Recipient

Tuesday, August 27, 2019 By Susanne Raab

We are pleased to introduce Kira – our 2019 bursary recipient.

Kira is a sweet, smart and funny little girl who lives a beautiful life of love and inclusion. She has recently started school and when her parents pick her up from school, her smile beams and she is overflowing with excitement.

Kira’s parents are determined to do everything they can to keep Kira healthy and to optimize her potential. They plan to use these bursary funds to assist them in providing stem cell therapy for Kira to help create new neural pathways and to retrain her brain and body.

We are hopeful that this therapy will make a meaningful difference in the quality of Kira’s life.

We have had the privilege of reading the stories of many exceptionally devoted and committed parents who need assistance in providing the specialized care, support, therapy and equipment their child needs and deserves to reach their full potential in life. Pacific Medical Law will continue to honor Janna’s memory, and support these families in the years to come, by providing this bursary to one family every year. We recognize, however, that this is not enough. This bursary, while very helpful to the annual recipient, is a small drop in the bucket for the CP community. We will continue to do what we can to help families with children living with CP in any way we can.

Individually, we will help families who have questions about the management of their pregnancy, labour and delivery, or the circumstances of the birth of their child. We will assist these families in obtaining answers from their treating nurse or physician, or expert opinions on why their child suffered their birth injury and whether it could have been avoided. We will do so free of charge. If the injury could have been avoided with appropriate and safe medical care, we will work to obtain fair compensation for your child to ensure they have optimal care, support and therapy during their lifetime.

At a community level, we remain committed to supporting the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC. As the President of the Board of the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC, I am working closely with the board and the staff on an ambitious plan to expand our services and supports for people living with CP throughout the province.

There is always more we can do. If there is a way we can help your family, please call us – we are here to help.

Janna Epp Bursary

Monday, May 6, 2019 By Susanne Raab

A $5,000 bursary has been established in honour of Janna Epp – a beautiful, determined young girl with cerebral palsy who faced challenges that few of us could imagine. Sadly, on October 11, 2012 Janna passed away.

In memory of Janna, Pacific Medical Law will donate $5,000 to a child living with cerebral palsy every year, to assist with that child’s care, therapy or recreation. The recipient of the award will be selected by Janna’s mother. This year the bursary applications are due June 28, 2019.

This is the 6th year this bursary will be awarded to a family with a child living with cerebral palsy, and our family of recipients keeps growing. As in the past, we have kept the bursary application as simple as possible, without any financial questions, and without any stipulations about what the bursary can be used for – we believe families know best what their child needs and we trust them.

The notice and application form can be found here.

Please forward this to any family who you think could benefit from some financial support. Of course, if you or any families have any questions, or need any more information, please don’t hesitate to call. If you would like to receive paper copies of the notice and application form, please let us know and we would be happy to put a few in the mail.

We Provide Financial Assistance for Hardworking Students Living With CP

Friday, March 29, 2019 By Brenda Osmond

Pacific Medical Law is looking to make a lasting difference in the lives of children with Cerebral Palsy. At Pacific Medical Law, we understand how much effort parents go through to fight for their children’s needs. Working with the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC, we have been able to provide support for young people with cerebral palsy by sponsoring an educational bursary. You can read more about our involvement and philanthropy with the Cerebral Palsy Association of British Columbia here.

The Bursary distributes financial support to 10 different recipients every year to subsidize the costs associated with educational programs. In the past, our recipients have used it to help them pursue educational opportunities in fields such as chemical engineering, psychology, and writing. Many of the recipients hope to use their skills to support others in the disability community.

Info Pacific Medical Law (4) (2)

Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports – Making Skiing and Snowboarding Accessible to All

Wednesday, March 27, 2019 By Andrea Donaldson

Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports (VASS) runs skiing and snowboarding programs for people with physical and cognitive disabilities at local Vancouver mountains. VASS is operated by volunteers, including instructors, program coordinators, and a Board of Directors, dedicated to making the mountains accessible to all, regardless of age or disability.

The program uses adaptive equipment, such as sit-skis, along with specialized teaching techniques tailored to the specific needs of the student. The instructors are trained to use the adaptive equipment and specialized teaching techniques, and are enthusiastic about sharing their love of skiing and snowboarding. Programs from beginner to advanced are offered, including snowboarding, sit-ski, stand-up skiing and advanced adaptive ski racing.

Child with Disabilities Enjoying Adaptive Skiing

As a volunteer-run, community-based program, VASS is always looking for new volunteers, either as instructors or through an administrative or fundraising role. Skiers or snowboarders who want to be teaching and helping on the mountain must attend a classroom training session focused on improving ability and knowledge of teaching the sport, followed by an on-snow training session in which they learn how to adapt their teaching plan based on their student and enhance their techniques for motivation and communication. If you are a skier or snowboarder who is passionate about making snow sports accessible to all, or if you are interested in volunteering off the mountain in fundraising, marketing, or volunteer coordination, visit www.vass.ca/vounteer for more information.

VASS seeks to enhance quality of life for people with disabilities by providing opportunities to experience the joy, freedom, health and wellness benefits of adaptive snow sports. Programs are offered at Grouse, Seymour, and Cypress Mountains from January until March each year, in the evenings or on the weekends. Two instructors are typically assigned per student, and the student works with the same instructors for the whole season. That way, the instructors know the student’s strengths and abilities, and learn how to best communicate with him or her over the course of the lessons.

Student registration for 2019 is now closed, but registration for the 2020 session opens in mid-October 2019. Students must be at least six years old. If you know someone living with a disability who is interested in learning or improving their skiing or snowboarding, more information on the program can be found at www.vass.ca or by emailing [email protected].

Christmas Wishes

Thursday, December 20, 2018 By Brenda Osmond

The team at Pacific Medical Law wishes you all of the magic and wonder of the holidays, and we hope that you are able to be with loved ones during this joyous season. We know that people living with cerebral palsy can sometimes feel isolated, especially around the holidays. Charisse Hogan is a young woman living with cerebral palsy who understands that isolation. She uses social media to let the world know the importance of accepting each other as we are, the harmful effect that bullying can have, and the positive impact that small acts of kindness can have on anybody, especially those who may feel isolated at Christmas. In 2016 she started a campaign to encourage acts of kindness, especially around the holidays. She continues the tradition to this day. Here is her 2016 story:

I remember sitting in my first hour class, watching students give and receive gifts from their friends. It was my second year at my new high school, and I still struggled with making friends. Many of the kids didn’t know how to react to the way my cerebral palsy causes me to speak and move. I became the kid who was just kind of there, invisible to many. I was going through the lowest part of my life. Just like the year before, I felt empty inside, knowing I didn’t have friends to share the Christmas cheer with. I remember talking to my mom about this the morning of the last school day before winter break.
But a few hours later, something happened that I will never forget. Like every morning, I sat at my desk watching the clock as the other students chatted with their friends. Out of the blue, one of my classmates placed a small gift box on my desk. This girl had never really talked to me before, so I was very confused why she set it on my desk. I was assuming it was hers or for someone else. Then she said, “I wanted to get you something. Merry Christmas.” Inside the box was a pink princess Gigi’s cupcake.
Then another classmate handed me a small red gift bag. Inside was a little stuffed reindeer and some Hershey’s Kisses. I was so surprised, I was speechless. I couldn’t believe what happened. My eyes teared up with joy. It wasn’t the gifts that overwhelmed me with happiness, it was knowing someone thought of me when I believed no one ever did.
These acts of kindness left a smile on my face the whole day. Those girls will never know how powerful their small gifts were. They will never know how long I will remember that moment.
I believe kindness is the greatest gift you can give someone, especially during the holiday season. My Christmas wish is to spread random acts of kindness worldwide during the month of December. I’m asking others to perform at least one act of kindness. I want others to experience the power of kindness. Your act of kindness can be small or big. It can be donating toys, paying for someone’s coffee, giving someone a compliment, or just sitting by someone who may be sitting alone. Anything!
I would love to hear your act of kindness. Please post about it on social media with #CharissesChristmasWish and let me know where you are from. You can make someone’s holiday a bit brighter!

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