Two pioneers in MS nursing have joined the list of Canadian recipients of the Giants of MS award, presented by the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC).

The Advanced Practice Provider award was earned by Colleen Harris, a nurse coordinator who has played a pivotal role in making the Calgary MS Clinic a world-class centre. Ms. Harris obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in nursing and a Nurse Practitioner certificate from the University of Calgary. She was one of the founders of the International Organization of MS Nurses and is past president of the CMSC. As part of her commitment to patient education, she has also made much-appreciated contributions to MSology, the sister site of NeuroSens.

The prestigious Nursing award was presented to Aprile Royal, the Education Program Manager at the BARLO MS Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. Ms. Royal has come full circle over her distinguished decades-long career in MS. She joined the MS Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital soon after its 1982 inception by Dr. Trevor Gray, an MS pioneer in Canada. After working as a nurse-educator for industry and at the MS Society of Canada, Ms. Royal returned to her roots at St. Michael’s soon after the opening of its world-class BARLO MS Centre.

Recipients of Giants of MS Awards are nominated by their peers and selected by a committee. This year’s awards were given out at the 24th Annual Meeting of CMSC in Nashville, Tennessee. Past Canadian recipients have included Dr. Anthony Feinstein (Mental Health), Dr. David Li (Neuroimaging) and T. Jock Murray (Neurology).