Major (ret). Alec Cooper, MD, Knight Commander of the MHOSL; Dr. Jean-Pierre Canuel, member of the ALS Quebec board; Georges Parent, grand prior emeritus of Canada and past secretary general of the International Grand Council MHOSL; Dr. Nicholas Dupré, neurologist researcher at Université Laval, and Elsa Girard, community engagement co-ordinator of ALS Quebec, pose for a photo with the $5,000 cheque donated to ALS Québec by the Order of Saint Lazarus. Note: PALS (Persons with ALS) are wearing blue and white scarves. (Photo by Mario Walker courtesy of Dr. Alec Cooper) Order of Saint Lazarus makes $5,000 donation to ALS Québec
Submitted by Dr. Alec Cooper
The Grand Priory of Canada of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem (MHOSLJ) recently presented a cheque for $5,000 to the Research Committee of the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Society of Quebec.
The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus is an order of chivalry whose history dates back 14 centuries to the Crusades. It was founded in the Holy Land to care for knights suffering from leprosy. The Order distinguished itself from other orders of chivalry by its green cross, the colour of hope and renewal in the Christian liturgy.
Today, the Order of Saint Lazarus is a federal non-profit corporation active in 37 countries. Established in Canada in 1962, the Order’s primary activity has been the support and promotion of palliative care. In Quebec City, it has been famous for its annual Emerald Ball at the Château Frontenac, which has raised more than $1 million over 25 years. Proceeds from the ball and other events have funded numerous local hospital foundations and educational ventures in the fields of health and ecumenism.
In 2004, the Canadian Grand Priory of the Order of Saint Lazarus, in association with the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, published and distributed A Caregivers’ Guide, a handbook about end-of-life care for those taking care of their loved ones. The free publication is available in English, French, Inuktitut, Spanish and Japanese.
An English version of the booklet can be downloaded as a PDF file at virtualhospice.ca/Assets/CHPCA%20caregivers_guide_2015_en_20170314094930.pdf.
Editor’s note: ALS is a progressive, incurable disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it. The exact cause of the disease is still not known. A small number of cases are inherited.
ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing or slurred speech. Eventually, ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. (Source – Mayo Clinic)
