Muscular Dystrophy Ireland awards the first annual Dr John Roche Education Bursary to students living with a neuromuscular condition, presented by Minister for Education, Norma Foley, TD.
On 12 October 2023, Muscular Dystrophy Ireland awarded the Dr John Roche Education Bursary to two students living with a neuromuscular condition.
The Muscular Dystrophy Ireland-Dr John Roche Educational Bursary honours the contributions of Dr John Roche who passed away in February 2022. John left a huge legacy with Muscular Dystrophy Ireland and the disability rights movement. He was appointed to the Board of MDI in 2017 and was Chairperson from 2018 to 2021. He was was passionate about the role of education in opening doors to employment and the crucial role of Personal Assistance Services and other Independent Living supports in empowering disabled people to live fulfilled lives of their own choosing. He campaigned for these rights throughout his life.
The annual bursary – this year is its first – will aim to support the educational costs of students with neuromuscular conditions attending further and higher education. It will award an annual grant of €1,000 each to two students who are living with a neuromuscular condition for the duration of their educational programme. It aims to support students to further their education and transition to meaningful employment, fully participate in society and reach their potential.
Minister for Education, Norma Foley, TD, said:
I am delighted to present the Dr John Roche Education Bursary to Cristina Fay and Sinéad Mannion, on behalf of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland.
Cristina Fay is from Miltown Malbay, County Clare. She has just started studying for a Bachelor Degree in Architecture at the University of Limerick. She is a creative person and would like to be able to bring her own perspective from living with muscular dystrophy towards improving inaccessible environments and provide the first-hand experience that is often lacking in design processes.
Sinéad Mannion is from Clifden, Co Galway. She is studying for her PhD in Physics at Queen’s University, Belfast. She hopes to stay in her research area, modelling low-temperature plasma, by doing a post-doctorate after she completes her PhD. She wants to make a contribution to this important field of physics by optimising and discovering new innovations for the biomedical device she studies, called an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet. This device has uses in cancer treatment and sterilisation.
Her ultimate hope to is to take advantage of the remote working revolution and teach. Having gotten a taste of it over Covid, teaching maths and physics to undergraduate students is her true passion. She says there is nothing more joyous than working with young people and igniting their fire for physics.
Alan Breathnach, CEO of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland said:
We are very proud to remember Dr John Roche and honour his great contribution to Muscular Dystrophy Ireland and the broader disability rights movement. While the bursary is a measure to help address some of the financial barriers to pursuing their education that students currently experience, we do not see it as the ultimate answer to addressing these barriers. MDI takes a human rights approach to disability which acknowledges that people with disabilities have human rights and that the State and others have responsibilities to respect these rights.
He added:
Considering the crucial role of education in opening doors to employment, the state needs to continue implementing measures towards providing equity of access to further and higher education to enable all students to have the opportunity to attain high levels of educational qualification and combat the risk of systemic poverty and unemployment of people with disabilities.
It is great to note that the two bursary students, Sinéad and Cristina who are studying physics and architecture respectively, are women students of subjects belonging to the STEM group of subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). We wish them every success in continuing their education.
About Muscular Dystrophy Ireland
Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, Company Limited by Guarantee (MDI) is a voluntary, not-for-profit member organisation, founded in 1972.
Our vision
MDI envisages an Ireland that enables people with neuromuscular conditions to fully participate in society and reach their full potential.
Our mission
Our mission is to support people with muscular dystrophy/neuromuscular conditions. We do this, using a member-centred approach, by:
providing information and support to people with neuromuscular conditions and their families through a range of support services.
advocating for services and entitlements for members; educating and informing society about neuromuscular conditions
supporting researchers and clinicians to carry out quality research into neuromuscular conditions.
The organisation’s various support services include:
• Family Support Programme
• Youth Service Programme
• Personal Assistance Service
• Counselling and Bereavement Services
• Information Services
• Transport Service
• Equipment loans
• Home from Home accessible apartment in Dublin 20.
About muscular dystrophy / neuromuscular conditions
Muscular dystrophy and associated neuromuscular conditions are characterised by the progressive weakening and wasting of the muscles. They can affect adults and children. Some forms arise at birth or in childhood while others may not become apparent until later in life. Each type of neuromuscular condition arises from a different genetic mutation or deletion which may be inherited from one or both parents, or it may be due to a spontaneous mutation. This means that some families may have more than one member with the condition. While currently there is no cure for muscular dystrophy, there have been huge advances in improving the quality of life for people with the conditions and we are living in more hopeful times for research and the development of treatments and standards of care.