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Cleveland Clinic Florida teams up with Kingdor Parkinson Foundation and local neurologist to talk about Parkinson’s disease

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Nestor Galvez-Jimenez, MD, Neurologist, Cleveland Clinic, Florida

July 12, 2022 – To help raise awareness in The Bahamas about Parkinson’s disease, a leading neurologist from Cleveland Clinic, Florida, Dr Nestor Galvez-Jimenez, recently teamed up with the Kingdor Parkinson Foundation and local neurologist, Dr Edwin Demeritte, in a Zoom interview to talk about life with the disease.

With hundreds of Bahamians suffering from Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Nestor Galvez-Jimenez,  said one of the best therapies for the disease that has no cure is exercise.

Describing it as a “condition of the aging brain”, Galvez-Jimenez said Parkinson’s is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that typically impacts people over the age of 50.

While there are treatments on the market to help manage the symptoms — tremors, stiffness, slower movement, among others — Galvez-Jimenez said his best patients are those who exercise regularly.

“I can tell you that I have patients with Parkinson’s disease who are in their 90s and they still go on the treadmill, they walk,” he said.

“And I have to tell you, of the exercises, the ones that have shown to be helpful is Tai Chi for balance, biking, either stationary or non-stationary, has been shown to be helpful, and boxing has also shown to be helpful.”

Galvez-Jimenez said all those exercises keep participants moving, but noted that Tai Chi, tennis and boxing are particularly good for balance and reflexes.

Mavis Darling-Hill, President, Kingdor Parkinson Foundation

“So, you know, I just tell patients you need to keep active,” he said. “And whatever you do is better than nothing, because the normal tendency for someone with Parkinson’s is to just slow down and become a couch potato. Read books as well, cognitively speaking, and keep social.”

Parkinson’s is believed to impact far more Bahamians than those who seek professional help, according to Parkinson’s Foundation President Mavis Darling-Hill, who described it as a “closeted disease.”

“We imagine, looking at our population of older persons over 60 years old, there could be a couple of thousand [cases] here, because…the signs and symptoms are very difficult in the early stage, a lot of persons will try to hide the disease,” she said.

“And only when it gets to the point where they cannot hide it enough, they’d come forward or admit to it.”

Dr. Edwin Demeritte, one of just three neurologists in The Bahamas and the only Paediatric Neurologist, said the lack of uniform medical record keeping also complicates the issue.

“When we look at our record keeping systems, we’re not uniform with electronic medical records,” he said.

Dr. Edwin Demeritte, Neurologist, Bahamas Neurological Center

“So, again, one of the issues is using paper records instead of electronic medical records in coming up with the exact numbers. So, at this point in time, we probably may have maybe somewhere between 500 and 1000 people who have come forth, but a lot of those persons are not captured in our system because there’s no uniform medical record keeping.”

However, Demeritte noted that work is underway to correct the matter.

As it relates to the issue of social stigmatization, Galvez-Jimenez said better education on Parkinson’s is important.

“I can clearly understand what was said about having some sort of social stigma about some of these things because, you know, we need to educate our patients and the population,” he said.

“You know, there’s nothing wrong with Parkinson’s. It’s another condition that affects the brain. And one thing that I try to tell them is if somebody has diabetes or has high blood pressure, usually you don’t think about it. You just say I’m going to take my medication for high blood pressure or take my medication for my diabetes.

“Well, we have to start thinking about Parkinson’s disease and all the Parkinsonian syndromes the same way. You know, we have treatment options… but the idea is to make people comfortable enough to open up and speak about it.

“So, education is important.”

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Education

Ministry of Education launches 2024 Season of Scholarship Applications

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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 6th March, 2024– The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Social Services would like to announce the launch of the 2024 scholarship application season which opens on March 11th 2024. This initiative offers invaluable opportunities for Turks and Caicos Islanders to apply for scholarship opportunities within the Ministry’s priority areas.  For more information on our priority areas please visit our website at https://gov.tc/scholarshipsecretariat

Estimated awards within each award category as follows: –

  • Standard Financial Assistance ………………………………………………….(55) including:

o    Cadet Financial Assistance …………………………………………………(2)

o    The TCI Hope Award …………………………………………………………..(2)

o    Intl. Associate’s Degree / A-Level awards ……………………… (3)

o    TCICC Academic Excellence Award …………………………………..(7-preselected)

  • Athletic Financial Assistance ……………………………………………………..(3)
  • National Scholars Awards ………………………………………………………….(4 -preselected)
  • Special Needs Students Financial Assistance Award ……………(2)
  • BWIC – GCE Advanced Level …………………………………………………….(3)

Explanatory notes in the link provided above outlines the criteria for each award category.

Our new application method

Our new application method for financial assistance marks a departure from traditional email or paper submissions; all applications must now be submitted exclusively through tcig-nefa.grantplatform.com/. Utilizing the Good Grants platform, an internationalized grant-making platform, applicants can easily apply online by clicking the provided link.

Dates

  • Application deadline: 30th May, 2024 at [11:59 pm] [EST]
  • Please note the application deadline, this date is final and there will be no extensions provided for the initial submission. The system will automatically prevent application submission after the deadline.
  • There is an extension date for the below documents IF NECESSARY up to June 30th.
    • Acceptance Letter
    • Transcript
  • Successful applicants will be notified in early August 2024.

Support

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the Scholarship Secretariat Unit by email to [scholarshipsecretariat@tciedu.tc]. DO NOT SEND APPLICATION SUBMISSION TO THIS ADDRESS.

  • You may edit your application after submitting, up until the deadline date.
  • Please make sure all your personal details are entered accurately, including contact details, so that we may contact you if your application is successful.
  • You are allowed to submit to more than one category, as long as the work submitted meets the criteria. However you can only be awarded 1 award.
  • You can use the ‘copy’ feature to create a copy of your application and change the category as required.

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Education

Department of Special Education Needs Services makes strides at CEC 2024 convention and Expo

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The Department of Special Education Needs Services (SENS) has marked a significant milestone in its journey towards enhancing services for exceptional learners through its participation in the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 2024 Convention and Expo, held in San Antonio, Texas March 12th to 16th 2024. This event, renowned for its dedication to advancing the field of special education, provided a platform for our team to immerse themselves in a wealth of knowledge and resources.

The convention, with a rich history of fostering collaboration and innovation, focused on sensitizing attendees to global initiatives in special education. Our team, consisting of four professionals from the Department of Special Education Needs Services; Mrs. Paulette Simmons – Special Education Teacher at SNAP Center, Jamiliyah Jordan – Speech and Language Pathologist, Christina Joseph – Behavioural Analyst, Lashaunda Skippings – Coordinator of Assessments and one representative from the Department of Education, Mrs. Faaida James – Special Education Officer benefited immensely from four days of information-packed workshops, networking opportunities, and exposure to cutting-edge assistive technologies and programs.

 CEC 2024 Convention and Expo has been a driving force in shaping the landscape of special education. Each year, it gathers professionals, researchers, and advocates to exchange ideas, share best practices, and explore innovative solutions to support individuals with exceptional needs.

 Lashaunda Skippings, Coordinator of Assessments, and a part of the team, shared her thoughts on the convention, stating, “ The CEC 2024 Convention exceeded my anticipations. It was incredibly enlightening and stimulated thoughtful reflection. I am grateful for the openness of presenters who shared their exemplary practices in Special Education, that address the needs of students with disabilities globally.”

Dr. Anya Malcolm, Director of Special Education Needs Services, expressed her excitement about the department’s progress, stating, “The thrill that fills the department and the parents as initiatives in Special Education Needs falls into place remarkably is tangible. We are dedicated to utilizing the knowledge and experiences gained from events like CEC 2024 to further enhance our services and support for exceptional learners.”

 Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, and Social Services, expressed her commendation for the Department of Special Education Needs Services, stating, “I commend the Department of Special Education Needs Services for their unwavering dedication and proactive stance in participating in the CEC 2024 Convention and Expo. The Ministry acknowledges the pivotal role of such initiatives in elevating the standards of special education services and fostering the comprehensive development of exceptional learners nationwide.” 

 The Department of Special Education Needs Services remains committed to its mission of providing comprehensive and inclusive support to individuals with special needs. Through continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation, we strive to create a nurturing environment where every exceptional learner can thrive.

 For more information about the Department of Special Education Needs Services and its initiatives, please contact sens@gov.tc.

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Caribbean News

Scholarship and Grants Digital Portal for Caribbean Students by ACMF

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#ACMF#Scholarhsip, March 21, 2024 – U.S. non-profit tax-exempt organization, the  American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF),  has now made scholarship and grant applications digital with a user-friendly platform as announced in a release on March 18. The organization says the site is open, accepting applications from Caribbean high school and tertiary level students, with a deadline of April 30th 2024. ACMF has proved to be beneficial to Caribbean students as it has funded full tuition and grants for about two hundred scholars and grantees from nine Caribbean countries including  Jamaica, The Bahamas, Suriname and St Vincent and the Grenadines. 

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