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Season’s greetings and happy holidays!
2024 has been a year of remarkable progress for DMRF Canada made possible by the dedication of our volunteers, donors, and partners. With our small but mighty team and a community that continues to inspire, we’ve met challenges head-on and reached new milestones together. This year, we welcomed nearly 20% more new patients and caregivers seeking information and support, and requests for personalized one-on-one assistance have surged by over 30%. The Cervical Dystonia Awareness PR Campaign reached millions of Canadians, significantly expanding awareness and understanding of dystonia. For a detailed overview of what we have achieved together, please visit our 2024 Accomplishments Page. In the articles below, you will read more about these milestones. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to continue this momentum with new research initiatives and more opportunities to strengthen our community. On behalf of DMRF Canada’s staff and board, thank you for your unwavering support. Together, we are dystonia strong. |
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Table of Contents
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Looking Back at 2024
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Looking Forward to 2025
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| September marked Dystonia Awareness Month, and thanks to your tremendous
support we achieved another successful
campaign in 2024, reaching over 5 million people.
We’re deeply grateful to our incredible community of supporters for making this possible. Read a breakdown of the highlights here, which features our Cervical Dystonia Awareness News Campaign. Because of your support, we’re proud to say that 2024 is our most successful campaign to date! |
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| Here’s a look back at some of the impactful events we've hosted and participated in recently, where we shared knowledge, connected with the community, and made a difference.
Winnipeg Dystonia Symposium: The Winnipeg Dystonia Support Group hosted an October 19th information session at Deer Lodge Centre, drawing over 50 attendees, earning media coverage, and featuring expert speakers Dr. Douglas Hobson and therapist Ms. Jenell Chorney. Our thanks to Leader Jennifer Lovell, and her dedicated volunteer team. UBC Brain Wellness Program : On October 19th, the University of British Columbia hosted a BC Brain Wellness Program event, featuring a keynote by Dr. Dean Ornish. A dystonia information booth at the event was organized by Greater Vancouver Co-leader Luisa Hudniuk and her volunteers. Advancing Care and Research for Dystonia : In November, we supported two significant gatherings that fostered collaboration and knowledge exchange among experts in the field: the 12th Dystonia Coalition International Meeting, organized by the Dystonia Coalition, and the 3rd Annual Canadian Movement Disorders Meeting, organized by Parkinson Canada and the Canadian Movement Disorders Society. With thanks to Ipsen for a grant supporting our synergizing efforts for collaborative research. |
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| We’re excited to share ongoing research studies that the community can be a part of. Explore these opportunities to help advance knowledge and improve care.
Maternal Disability and Child Health Care: Rachel Peiris, a University of Toronto researcher, seeks service providers or mothers with disabilities (with children under the age of 10) to share their experiences in accessing or providing child health care through interviews, aiming to improve supports for mothers with disabilities and enhance child health in Canada. Social Entrepreneurship Training and Research: Researchers at Thompson Rivers University invite you to join their study, People with Disabilities as Social Enterprise Enablers, which offers training to raise awareness about social entrepreneurship opportunities for persons with disabilities. Dystonia Coalition Projects: Dr. Susan Fox and her team at Toronto Western Hospital are leading two Dystonia Coalition Projects to enhance the understanding and treatment of dystonia, including a main study and a Patient-Centered Outcome (PCO) app project. Research Study on Brain Interactions: Dr. Talyta Grippe at Toronto Western Hospital is recruiting for a study that aims to understand how the interactions across different areas of the brain of a dystonia patient differ from those without dystonia. For more information on these studies, please click here. |
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Make it Monthly for Dystonia in 2025
As we look to 2025, DMRF Canada is committed to making a lasting impact for those with dystonia, but we need your support. With a small team and fluctuating funds, a steady, reliable source of income is essential for our research, advocacy, and support programs across Canada.
By giving just $5 a month, you’ll help provide the stability we need to plan and grow. Your ongoing support lowers administrative costs and ensures that more of your donation directly funds impactful initiatives. Thanks to our volunteers and efficient operations, our administrative costs this year are lower than in 2015, meaning more of your donation goes directly to supporting those with dystonia. Together, we can make a difference. Make it count. Make it monthly.
Remember to choose "Monthly" for Donation Frequency when signing up. |
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Jackson Mooney Patient Education Grant 2025 Submissions are now open, accepting letters of intent until April 30, 2025. The Jackson Mooney Patient Education Grant provides up to $5,000 for Canadian residents with dystonia who are in financial need and pursuing education to improve their circumstances. Click here to learn more. We recently added more dystonia-trained physiotherapists and clinics to our Physiotherapy and Dystonia webpage. |
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Calgary Casino Chairperson
Attention Calgary Residents! We are seeking a volunteer for the Calgary Casino Chairperson role. Further information about the role and how to apply can be found in the link below. Bingo World and Gaming Richmond Hill
URGENT: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Attention Greater Toronto Area Residents! DMRF Canada is seeking volunteers for an exciting fundraising opportunity through Bingo World and Gaming Richmond Hill. In exchange for volunteers’ time, DMRF Canada will receive a portion of the money raised from the Bingo events for dystonia research and support programs. Please click here for more information on our volunteering opportunities. |
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| We welcome additional new co-leaders of the Greater Toronto Support Group - Denise and Jonathan! The group is excited to announce that there will be a virtual meeting hosted through Zoom on January 26th from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM Eastern Time. Click here to register for the meeting.
To contact a leader, visit: https://dystoniacanada.org/toronto . The Greater Toronto Support Group is seeking feedback on support and meetings for the coming year. Please share your thoughts in this short survey. |
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DMRF Canada wants to continue helping our amazing community and that is only made possible by your generous donations. Please consider donating to keep our momentum in the new year! Donate by December 31
to receive your 2024 charitable tax receipt. We understand that the Canada Post strike might raise concerns about your ability to give but we are committed to providing you a seamless donation process. To ensure your support reaches us without delay, we encourage you to donate through the following methods:
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| This holiday season, send your loved ones a ready-to-use e-card while supporting the environment and the dystonia community! Use pre-designed e-cards through CanadaHelps, and share your warm wishes instantly. Celebrate sustainably and make an impact—send your e-card today!
Please note, DMRF Canada office will be closed from December 21, 2024, to January 1, 2025. During this time, we will respond to urgent matters only. For assistance, please email info@dystoniacanada.org or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-361-8061. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season! |
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Scheduled Meetings
Winnipeg Virtual Support Group Meeting - January 25th, 2025 Find a full listing of currently scheduled meetings on our event page. Watch for future newsletters and announcements from DMRF Canada – we’ve got many more meetings and events in the works!
Toronto Virtual Support Group Meeting - January 26th, 2025 Winnipeg Virtual Support Group Meeting - February 22nd, 2025 |
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Follow DMRF Canada on our social media platforms to stay up-to-date. |
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@DMRFC |
@dystonia_canada |
@Dystonia Medical Research Foundation Canada |
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Please visit our website at https://dystoniacanada.org
Donate to our cause at https://dystoniacanada.org/donateonline
Our NEW mailing address is:
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation Canada
PO Box 1009 Stn Toronto Dom
Toronto ON M5K 1P2 Canada |
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