My name is Anne McDonald. I am COTF’s Executive Assistant. This year marks my 10thyear at the Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation. Before working at COTF, I had very little contact with occupational therapy, other than my children receiving some help in school with their pencil grip. The world of occupational therapy was opened to me at my first CAOT conference where Nicol Korner-Bitensky was the Muriel Driver speaker. Nicol spoke with such passion about the profession that it made every non-OT in the audience, like me, wish that they had chosen the OT profession! Her lecture taught me that occupational therapists are compassionate caring people who are focused problem solvers. I’ve had the privilege of working closely with the COTF board of directors, of which, many are occupational therapists. I’ve seen how OTs advocate for their clients, generously give of their time to sit on volunteer boards and expend themselves to further their profession. Most juggle multiple responsibilities including family, career and volunteer work. By far, what impresses me the most about occupational therapists is their dedication to their clients and the lengths that they will go to help their clients obtain what they need to enjoy their daily life. My family recently experienced this first hand as an OT helped with my aging parents, making them comfortable and happy to be able to continue to do certain things on their own. The OT’s help was invaluable in making the transition from home to assisted living for my parents, and my siblings and I were grateful for the help.
Blog December 2018
