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Calgary Herald - Spirit of Gold

The eighth annual Spirits of Gold Awards Gala at the Roundup Centre recognized the people and organizations that had taken the time to help their community.

This year the Outstanding Community Volunteer Award went to a lady who has dedicated nearly her whole life to improve conditions for people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

“I feel extremely humbled. I feel a bit in awe because all I do is sit on boards and committees. I really feel that everything we do is based on teamwork. I feel a little guilty for being singled out like this,” says Jutta Hinrichs, a volunteer with the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Even though Hinrichs is modest about her role with the Multiple Sclerosis Society, executive director Mark Woolf says she is a dedicated volunteer who has been extensively involved with the organization for the past 14 years.

Woolf is not surprised that Hinrichs was picked for the award.

“It’s just a reflection of her commitment to this organization,” he says.

Woolf says she is a “wonderful person” and feels lucky to have her on his team. “She takes her job very seriously. She doesn’t just pay lip service.”

Other than being a kindred spirit, Hinrichs plays two important roles with Calgary Health Region. She is the professional practice leader for occupational therapists and the coordinator for a Multiple Sclerosis rehabilitation program called Outpatient Treatment & Investigation in Multiple Sclerosis (OPTIMUS).

OPTIMUS is an interdisciplinary team of occupational and physical therapists, social workers, psychologists and a nurse.
Hinrichs says working with the medical and rehabilitation teams for and the Society has given her a broader perspective of the issues related to Multiple Sclerosis.

“I think we (medical and rehabilitation teams and MS Society) all work very well together. It doesn’t matter who the patients come to, if we can’t help them we know who can.” This three pronged approach helps support a lot of the needs of people with Multiple Sclerosis and their families.

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic neurological disease that disrupts the nerve coverings called the myelin sheath that helps the nerves transfer messages from the brain to the body. In severe cases, it might damage the axons, which are the real message transmitters of the nervous system.

People can end up with different symptoms depending on where the disease starts. If it starts in the brain, patients might experience short-term memory, vision and speech problems. If it starts in the spinal cord, patients have problems with walking, coordination and muscle weakness.

The disease is usually not fatal, but can be quiet disruptive if not discovered at an early stage, according to Hinrichs.
Hinrichs got her first glimpse into the world of therapy for the physically challenged when she worked on a school project with the Ontario Crippled Children’s Centre, now called the Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre.

She ended up volunteering with the Centre and at the end of high school joined a four-year occupational therapy program.
In 1993, she came to Calgary to work with the OPTIMUS program. A few days after she joined, she was offered a volunteer position on the board of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“Because the volunteer work fit well with my work, I joined the board,” she says.

Currently, she is a member of the client services committee at the Society’s chapter and provincial levels. She has also volunteered as a member on various committees and as part of the board of directors at the chapter, provincial and national levels.

She is also volunteering with the clinical care committee of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centres.

According to Hinrichs, the Multiple Sclerosis Society helps people by raising monies for ongoing Multiple Sclerosis research and by providing advocacy support.

“The MS Society also plays a huge role in advocacy, dealing with social and other issues that exist for people with MS,” she says.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society works to affect positive changes in government policies and public attitudes. Some of the issues it is working towards are access to Canada Pension Plan disability benefits, disability tax credit and improving provincial drug plans.

The Calgary chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society also runs client services like recreational programs, special assistance funding, caregiver support and programs for children whose parents suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, says Hinrichs.

She also feels positive about researchers being very close to finding a cure for the disease.

“We have made great strides in the medical field. At least four very important medications, which slow the progress of MS and control the frequency of relapses, have been discovered.”

But Hinrichs says the Society sometimes feels the strain due to government cutbacks because it has grown over time and the demands for its services are increasing.

Although she doesn’t let things like less funding hold her back form giving her best. She finds her satisfaction in the knowledge that she is helping people who face such a debilitating disease in high spirits.

“They (Multiple Sclerosis patients) have so much perseverance, the spunk to continue in the face of this disease. My joy comes from them and improving their quality of life.”

Five years ago Hinrichs’ battle against Multiple Sclerosis became more private.

“Over the years it has become personal. Then my partner was diagnosed with MS. I have learned a lot professionally about MS but now I also know what it is like personally.”

But she’s carrying on with a smile on her lips and determination in her eyes.

“I think it (volunteering) has made me appreciate what things I do have in my life. It has taught me to be grateful.”

She says that Calgary has a great tradition of being a great volunteer city and should continue giving in the same way.

“It’s important to volunteer, to appreciate and better live life.”