Tax season is upon us: the time of year Canadians traditionally make donations to an RRSP to benefit from immediate tax savings and to shelter money for retirement. If your family is one of the over 300,000 in Canada that live with epilepsy you can also benefit from a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).
Mark Lundquist, a financial planner with Edward Jones says, “Qualifying individuals can receive up to 300% of their contributions matched in the form of government grants, making an RDSP a very attractive investment option.”
How can people with disabilities benefit from the RDSP?
The structure of an RDSP is similar to the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). The RDSP allows money to be invested, exempt from tax until it’s withdrawn. Benefits include:
1) Contributions are matched by federal grants. The federal government will match contributions made to the RDSP with Canada Disability Savings Grants. Grant amount depends on the size of the annual contribution as well as family net income. These grants are available until the year the beneficiary turns 49, to a maximum of $70,000.
2) Low-income families receive an additional bond. Families whose net income is $37,885 or less will receive annual Canada Disability Savings Bonds of up to $1,000 towards the RDSP. Like the grant, these bonds can be received until the year the beneficiary turns 49 years old, up to a lifetime limit of $20,000.
3) Investment income is tax-exempt until withdrawal. Earnings generated by contributions to the savings plan are tax-exempt while they stay in the plan. When earnings are withdrawn, they are taxable in the hands of the beneficiary and likely to be taxed at a lower rate.
Who is eligible?
To qualify for the RDSP, you must be eligible for the Disability Tax Credit and have submitted a Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate to the Canada Revenue Agency. The two basic conditions are that (1) your disability has lasted (or is likely to last) at least 12 months and (2) your ability to carry out basic activities of daily living are significantly restricted. A brief questionnaire to help see if you qualify and Disability Tax Certificate application forms are available from the Canada Revenue Agency. Visit their website or call 1-800-959-8281.
To learn more about the Registered Disability Savings Plan ask a qualified financial advisor. Mr. Lundquist can be contacted at mark.lunquist@edwardjones.com .
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Sick Kids Hospital Hosts Epilepsy Family Education Day - Coming March 3
The 3rd Epilepsy Family Education Day hosted by SickKids and the Ontario Brain Institute is quickly approaching. It will be held on Sunday March 3, 2013 from 10am to 4pm at the Hollywood Theatre in the Hospital for Sick Children.
Families that have children with epilepsy will want to note this opportunity. The focus of the symposium is to provide information about resources, treatment and current research.
Registration for the event is free online at http://www.sickkids.ca/Learning/learning-opportunities/upcoming-conf/index.html. There you will also find driving directions, parking and other important information.
Families that have children with epilepsy will want to note this opportunity. The focus of the symposium is to provide information about resources, treatment and current research.
Registration for the event is free online at http://www.sickkids.ca/Learning/learning-opportunities/upcoming-conf/index.html. There you will also find driving directions, parking and other important information.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Epilepsy Canada announces funding partnership to turn old laptops into new research dollars
Toronto: Epilepsy Canada today announced a new partnership with the Green4Good™ program. An innovative initiative of Compugen Finance, Green4Good offers Canadian enterprises an effective way to solve the challenge of disposing of old IT equipment while raising money for charity.
Epilepsy Canada is counting on the program to turn old laptops into a new source of research funds. It will channel all dollars it receives into research for new therapies and treatments of epilepsy. Over 300,000 Canadians live with the neurological disorder that causes sudden bursts of hyperactivity in the brain and reveals itself in the form of seizures.
Steve Byrne, Director of Green4Good says, "Each year companies around the world divest themselves of massive amounts of IT equipment that no longer serves their purposes. This presents a big environmental challenge. Much of this equipment can end up in land fill sites."
Compugen Finance developed the Green4Good as a comprehensive approach to the disposal of decommissioned corporate IT assets–desktops, notebooks, servers, printers, monitors, network components, etc.–that eliminates any negative environmental effects and allows organizations to leverage any residual value in those assets. Green4Good then turns the net gains from IT asset disposition into support–cash and/or new technology products/services–for their chosen charities.
Gary Collins, Executive Director of Epilepsy Canada, accepted an initial donation of $2,000 from Compugen Finance, but sees this as a "down payment on the potential benefit". He says that he will encourage Epilepsy Canada's other corporate sponsors to get on board with this program and turn their aging laptops, printers, servers and other IT equipment into dollars for epilepsy research.
Epilepsy Canada is the country's only national organization with a mission to enhance the quality of life for persons living with epilepsy through the funding of research. It receives no government money and relies totally on individual and corporate donations to achieve its goals.
Compugen is dedicated to simplifying the business of technology. Since 1981, it has provided innovative solutions and services to help customers leverage their investments in technology infrastructure.
Epilepsy Canada is counting on the program to turn old laptops into a new source of research funds. It will channel all dollars it receives into research for new therapies and treatments of epilepsy. Over 300,000 Canadians live with the neurological disorder that causes sudden bursts of hyperactivity in the brain and reveals itself in the form of seizures.
Steve Byrne, Director of Green4Good says, "Each year companies around the world divest themselves of massive amounts of IT equipment that no longer serves their purposes. This presents a big environmental challenge. Much of this equipment can end up in land fill sites."
Compugen Finance developed the Green4Good as a comprehensive approach to the disposal of decommissioned corporate IT assets–desktops, notebooks, servers, printers, monitors, network components, etc.–that eliminates any negative environmental effects and allows organizations to leverage any residual value in those assets. Green4Good then turns the net gains from IT asset disposition into support–cash and/or new technology products/services–for their chosen charities.
Gary Collins, Executive Director of Epilepsy Canada, accepted an initial donation of $2,000 from Compugen Finance, but sees this as a "down payment on the potential benefit". He says that he will encourage Epilepsy Canada's other corporate sponsors to get on board with this program and turn their aging laptops, printers, servers and other IT equipment into dollars for epilepsy research.
Epilepsy Canada is the country's only national organization with a mission to enhance the quality of life for persons living with epilepsy through the funding of research. It receives no government money and relies totally on individual and corporate donations to achieve its goals.
Compugen is dedicated to simplifying the business of technology. Since 1981, it has provided innovative solutions and services to help customers leverage their investments in technology infrastructure.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Epilepsy Discovery Project showing early results
Researchers involved in the Epilepsy Discovery Project funded by the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) have reported progress in a number of significant areas. On November 10 and 11th, scientists and supporters gathered in Hamilton to share findings.
The OBI Epilepsy Discovery Project was launched in March 2012 and involves research into new medications, diets and brain stimulation among other initiatives. Its goals are to discover new treatments and therapies for people affected by epilepsy. A reapplication for new funding is expected to be made by the researchers in early 2013.
Gary Collins, Executive Director Epilepsy Canada was excited about the reported progress. He commented, "The updates at this conference are encouraging for everyone looking for new treatments to help those living with epilepsy. Epilepsy Canada will do all it can to assist OBI meet its 2013 funding goal."
Three of the reported highlights from the conference are -
The OBI Epilepsy Discovery Project was launched in March 2012 and involves research into new medications, diets and brain stimulation among other initiatives. Its goals are to discover new treatments and therapies for people affected by epilepsy. A reapplication for new funding is expected to be made by the researchers in early 2013.
Gary Collins, Executive Director Epilepsy Canada was excited about the reported progress. He commented, "The updates at this conference are encouraging for everyone looking for new treatments to help those living with epilepsy. Epilepsy Canada will do all it can to assist OBI meet its 2013 funding goal."
Three of the reported highlights from the conference are -
- Studies with animals are showing omega-3 fish oils are elevating seizure threshold. Because omega-3 fish oils are a food additive, not a medication, development of food additives for human consumption can happen quickly. By comparison the development process for pharmaceuticals can take up to 10 years. Researchers are looking to add omega-3 fish oil to people's normal diets, with the anticipation that seizure numbers will be reduced after three months.
- A study at McMaster University is researching the benefits of exercise for children living with epilepsy. The study, led by Dr. Gabriel Ronen is monitoring a group of children with epilepsy who are involved in a walking program and comparing their seizure numbers to children with epilepsy who are not participating in regular exercise.
- New findings about why ketogenic diets can be effective in the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy were reported. People on ketogenic diets, which favour foods low in carbohydrates and high in protein, have been found to have elevated acetone levels in their bloodstream. Acetone analogues are being tested in animals and preliminary results indicate some of the acetone analogues are anticonvulsant.
Friday, 26 October 2012
Your donations advance epilepsy research
Two important Canadian research projects recently received funding grants from Epilepsy Canada.
The first is led by Dr. Paolo Federico, an epileptologist with the Calgary Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. His study represents an advance in developing tools to better identify seizure foci in a challenging group of epilepsy patients.
Approximately 30% of patients with focal epilepsy (seizures arising from a localized brain region) have seizures that cannot be controlled by medication. In these cases, surgical removal of the seizure focus is often considered. The odds of staying seizure-free after surgery, is two and a half times greater when a lesion can be identified. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the usual methodology to identify a seizure focus and the surgical target.
Dr. Federico explains, "Twenty per cent of patients with untreatable focal seizures have no visible abnormality on conventional MR scans. Thus, new, non-invasive methods to identify MR abnormalities are needed." Recently, new quantitative MR techniques have been developed to allow the sensitive detection of MR signal abnormalities across the entire brain that may be there but are missed by simple visual inspection of MR images. These techniques may allow for more refined seizure focus localization, and possibly a more precise surgical resection.
In awarding the grant, Epilepsy Canada President Dr. W. McIntyre Burnham said," The committee felt that Dr. Federico's project would significantly contribute to improved patient care in the very near future."
Dr. Sbastien Desgent, PhD, has received an Epilepsy Canada Research Grant for a second straight year. Working at the Department of Research CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, he continues to advance knowledge on the consequences of chronic early-life stress on the risk of developing epilepsy as a subject ages.
Dr. Desgent says, "We think that stress contributes to hippocampal changes that predispose individuals to develop as Temporal Lobe Epilepsy later in life." Dr. Desgent's research project will contribute towards a better understanding of epileptogenesis as well as the impact of early-life stressors on normal brain and hippocampal development in infants. "With our study, we want to understand what makes stress so harmful to the hippocampus, an important region of the brain, and so vital to development of epilepsy." Says Dr. Desgent
The first is led by Dr. Paolo Federico, an epileptologist with the Calgary Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. His study represents an advance in developing tools to better identify seizure foci in a challenging group of epilepsy patients.
Approximately 30% of patients with focal epilepsy (seizures arising from a localized brain region) have seizures that cannot be controlled by medication. In these cases, surgical removal of the seizure focus is often considered. The odds of staying seizure-free after surgery, is two and a half times greater when a lesion can be identified. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the usual methodology to identify a seizure focus and the surgical target.
Dr. Federico explains, "Twenty per cent of patients with untreatable focal seizures have no visible abnormality on conventional MR scans. Thus, new, non-invasive methods to identify MR abnormalities are needed." Recently, new quantitative MR techniques have been developed to allow the sensitive detection of MR signal abnormalities across the entire brain that may be there but are missed by simple visual inspection of MR images. These techniques may allow for more refined seizure focus localization, and possibly a more precise surgical resection.
In awarding the grant, Epilepsy Canada President Dr. W. McIntyre Burnham said," The committee felt that Dr. Federico's project would significantly contribute to improved patient care in the very near future."
Dr. Sbastien Desgent, PhD, has received an Epilepsy Canada Research Grant for a second straight year. Working at the Department of Research CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, he continues to advance knowledge on the consequences of chronic early-life stress on the risk of developing epilepsy as a subject ages.
Dr. Desgent says, "We think that stress contributes to hippocampal changes that predispose individuals to develop as Temporal Lobe Epilepsy later in life." Dr. Desgent's research project will contribute towards a better understanding of epileptogenesis as well as the impact of early-life stressors on normal brain and hippocampal development in infants. "With our study, we want to understand what makes stress so harmful to the hippocampus, an important region of the brain, and so vital to development of epilepsy." Says Dr. Desgent
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Thank you to all of our generous sponsors
Epilepsy Canada wishes to thank the sponsors and corporate
partners that are supporting the I Heart Shakey Fund Raising event
and the Break The Silence Auction. They are:
AMR Associates
Artez Interactive
Art Source
Canada Goose
Care-Alive
ClearStream
CTV
Elevest Corporation
Galloway Botteselle & Company
Grosman, Grosman & Gale LLP
4Growth Inc
ITG Canada Corp.
Lighthouse Nine
Matsuda
McLaren Medicine Professional Corporation
Medtronic
Mizuno
Morrison Foundation
Ontario Brain Institute
Remp, Earl & Partners
Richmond Hill Lexus
Scotiabank
Sir Sam's Ski and Bike
Sir Sam's Inn
SNAP Newspaper Group
Standard Telecom
Telescope Marketing
Tennis Canada
Toronto Rock Lacrosse
partners that are supporting the I Heart Shakey Fund Raising event
and the Break The Silence Auction. They are:
AMR Associates
Artez Interactive
Art Source
Canada Goose
Care-Alive
ClearStream
CTV
Elevest Corporation
Galloway Botteselle & Company
Grosman, Grosman & Gale LLP
4Growth Inc
ITG Canada Corp.
Lighthouse Nine
Matsuda
McLaren Medicine Professional Corporation
Medtronic
Mizuno
Morrison Foundation
Ontario Brain Institute
Remp, Earl & Partners
Richmond Hill Lexus
Scotiabank
Sir Sam's Ski and Bike
Sir Sam's Inn
SNAP Newspaper Group
Standard Telecom
Telescope Marketing
Tennis Canada
Toronto Rock Lacrosse
Friday, 29 June 2012
March 26th is now officially Purple Day for epilepsy awareness
June 19, 2012 (Ottawa) – Parliament provided a positive boost to Canadians living with epilepsy when the Senate passed legislation to promote epilepsy awareness on June 19. Bill C-278, an Act respecting a day to increase public awareness about epilepsy received Royal Assent and became law on June 28th. The bill establishes March 26th as Purple Day, a day each year when Canadians wear purple to promote a greater awareness of epilepsy and the 300,000 Canadians it affects.
The bill was sponsored by Halifax West MP Geoff Regan. He took up the cause of Cassidy Megan, the young girl in his riding who founded Epilepsy Day in 2008. He said, “Too often, people with epilepsy feel isolated and stigmatized because of a lack of understanding about their condition.”
“I want to thank Cassidy Megan, the young girl who founded Purple Day, and the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia for their hard work and dedication to this cause,” said Regan. “Cassidy has proven that one person can make a difference.”
“I am so grateful and happy" said Cassidy. "Parliament believed in me and Purple Day and showed me and the other Canadians living with epilepsy that they care and that we are not alone.”
The bill was sponsored by Halifax West MP Geoff Regan. He took up the cause of Cassidy Megan, the young girl in his riding who founded Epilepsy Day in 2008. He said, “Too often, people with epilepsy feel isolated and stigmatized because of a lack of understanding about their condition.”
“I want to thank Cassidy Megan, the young girl who founded Purple Day, and the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia for their hard work and dedication to this cause,” said Regan. “Cassidy has proven that one person can make a difference.”
“I am so grateful and happy" said Cassidy. "Parliament believed in me and Purple Day and showed me and the other Canadians living with epilepsy that they care and that we are not alone.”
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