About us
The purpose of this project is to work collaboratively with patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to co-design an intervention that will improve the ability to find footwear that can comfortably accommodate AFOs for children aged 6 to 17.
Objectives
The objectives of Project A.F.O are to:
- Identify what features are important to finding a proper shoe to fit an AFO,
- Improve access to appropriate footwear for children aged 6 to 17 who wear an AFO
- Implement an intervention at a host site
- Measure if the intervention improved access to footwear
Team members
Lisa Caldana
In 2003, Lisa commenced her professional journey in healthcare as a Registered Physiotherapist. Throughout this time she has worked in clinical and administrative capacities throughout the healthcare continuum in acute, inpatient and outpatient rehab, and private practice settings with a variety of patient populations. These settings have allowed her to work with a variety of healthcare professionals to improve programs and service delivery that enhance function and quality of life for individuals
Avery Leung
Avery likes to play sports her my down time. She can play basketball, ultimate frisbee, softball, volleyball, and badminton. Avery also enjoys photography and she looks forward to exploring the city with her camera.
Andrew Sedmihradsky
Andrew's life changed forever in June 2013, when his son Max was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy - a disease that affects mainly boys, putting them in wheelchairs in their early teens and shortening their lives considerably. In response to Max’s diagnosis, Andrew began Max's Big Ride in 2015 with his family. Initially, his efforts were focused on raising funds and awareness, but his work has since expanded into advocacy, collaboration and identifying new opportunities and unmet needs. Through this work, Andrew has recognized the need for a framework to help him develop the skills, networks and knowledge he needs to realize his future goals in the Duchenne community, healthcare and beyond.
Project Advisory Committee
Jaime Winkler
Jaime Winkler is a caregiver and advocate from Regina, Saskatchewan. She is employed as a Navigation & Resource Service, President of CPSK. President of the Saskatchewan Cerebral Palsy Association, a Research Engagement Strategist, Knowledge Broker, and Community Engagement Facilitator in Family Centered Service. At 26 weeks, her neurodiverse twins altered their family’s path, forever changing their lives. Today, as a mom to 7 amazing little girls, Jaime’s key methodology is an equalitarian, individualized & family centered approach to research and care through knowledge translation and family centered service.
Gordon Ruder
Creating a custom-made orthotic brace is both an art and a science. For Gordon, the field was a natural fit, giving him the ability to combine all his best skills—research, biomechanics, creativity and helping others—into one profession. Gordon is still as passionate about helping patients attain their goals as he was 25 years ago when he started at Boundless. From young refugees to seven-time Paralympic medalists, Gordon supports individuals in all walks of life. However, caring for children with developmental disorders is Gordon’s area of expertise. He often sees patients who need unique orthotic devices.
Dr. Virginia Wright
Dr. Wright is a registered physiotherapist and senior scientist in BRI and Professor (status) in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto. Virginia is the founder and leader of the SPARK Lab. Her program of research focuses on developing and validating outcome measures, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of interventions in pediatric rehabilitation. Her clinician-partnered measure development work includes a family of advanced motor skills measures (the Challenge) for kids with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, and autism spectrum disorder, a measure of upper limb functional ability for kids who use prosthetic devices (the PUFI-2), and a measure of ability to independently access the community for kids with acquired brain injury (the Community Mobility Assessment).
TRP Supervisors
Dr. Joseph Ferenbok
Driven to improve patient care, Prof. Ferenbok catapults projects forward with passion, wisdom, and a contagious chuckle. He is an Associate Director of the Health Innovation Hub, a Faculty of Medicine initiative intended to connect, align, serve, and facilitate the translation, innovation, and commercialization of 'Health Matters'.
Dr. Edyta Marcon
Edyta loves to encounter new questions, apply new knowledge, and meet new people. As a Senior Research Associate at the U of T Donnelly Centre, she currently studies how RNA modifications regulate gene expression and how they relate to human health and disease. Her interests extend beyond the laboratory into the application of scientific research using human centric design thinking.
