Meritorious Service Medal
Awarded on: 2016-04-05
Invested on: 2016-06-23
Ellen Schwartz, M.S.M.
Jeffrey Schwartz, M.S.M.
Toronto, Ontario
Ellen and Jeffrey Schwartz’s son, Jacob, was born with Canavan disease, a rare inherited neurodegenerative condition. They set out to educate themselves about the disease and went on to start Jacob’s Ladder, also known as the Canadian Foundation for Control of Neurodegenerative Disease. It now provides research funding, education to the public, support for affected families, and adult genetic screening to reduce the occurrence of eight neurodegenerative conditions.