AOTI is delighted to announce Sharon Leahy as the winner of the Eva Duggan Award 2023
Sharon Leahy
Is the winner of the
Eva Duggan Award
with her project
“The NRH Whizzy Wheelers”
Congratulations to Sharon Leahy on winning the 2023 Eva Duggan Award. She will be presented with the award during the AOTI Conference Dinner on 5th October.
The award consists of a €1,000 bursary to develop initiatives to enhance paediatric services. It recognises and rewards practice-based research projects in paediatric Occupational Therapy. It celebrates projects that showcase the use of meaningful occupation, involve clients and encourage role-emerging practice, all of which reflect the values Eva espoused.
The NRH Whizzy Wheelers project supports children and young people with acquired Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) in the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Ireland. This project is led by Sharon Leahy, Senior Occupational Therapist. This project has occupation at its core. It creates an environment where children and young people with acquired SCI can thrive, develop essential skills, and achieve a higher level of independence/ fulfilment.
There is a small cohort of acquired Paediatric SCI in the Republic of Ireland. Meeting the needs of this cohort brings challenges in terms of delivering a quality service. Within the NRH there is typically one Paediatric bed dedicated to these children or young people at any given time. Therefore, there is a lack of peer support opportunities for these children and parents alike during their NRH admission, not to mention when they are discharged home. To overcome these challenges, Occupational Therapy has led on creating a Paediatric SCI event. This was established in 2019. It has also been successfully run in 2022 and 2023. This project is supported by other members of the NRH Paediatric interdisciplinary team as well as other agencies/individuals (Mark Barry from the Irish Wheelchair Association, Spinal Injuries Ireland, Active Disability Ireland) and NRH volunteers/peer supporters.
This project uses inclusive sports/play, meaningful engagement, wheelchair skills training, peer support and education to empower children and young people with acquired SCI and their parents. In essence, the project embodies the core values and principles of Occupational Therapy and Paediatric Rehabilitation by offering a comprehensive and empowering experience that supports these children’s physical, emotional and social well-being.
The Eva Duggan Award Committee would like to thank all the other applicants for their excellent projects. These projects reflect the values of the Eva Duggan Award and follows the foundations that leaders like Eva Duggan have laid, to ensure innovative and life changing paediatric practice by Occupational Therapists.
The Eva Duggan Award is made possible by a kind donation by Eva’s family to AOTI.
