INNOVATION May-June 2019

C O M M U N I T Y

a BoVe : The Liftware Leveler P hoto : liFtWareCanaDa . Ca r iGht : Brad MacKenzie, P.Eng., receives the ALS Society of BC Exceptional Public Awareness Award – Individual Category award

ENGINEER-ALS PATIENT LOOKS FOR BETTER DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY When Brad MacKenzie, P.Eng., left his doctor’s office one day in 2016, he had to process some tragic news: he had just been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) —a perplexing, terminal neurodegenerative disease that gradually interrupts the body’s communication with the brain. Over time, the condition impairs patients’ ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe. There is no effective treatment and no cure; most ALS patients survive only up to five years after diagnosis. Like many newly diagnosed ALS sufferers, MacKenzie

integrated systems. As an electrical engineer who loves to tinker with inventions, MacKenzie was a good fit evaluating the design of this equipment and assessing whether it might be suitable for ALS patients. MacKenzie recently evaluated the Liftwear Steady, a computerized self-leveling utensil handle that uses sensors and motors to compensate for hand tremors in real-time. The rechargeable unit can be outfitted with a spoon or fork attachment. He also evaluated a high-tech wheelchair that can adjust almost any of its parts to almost any angle to suit the needs of the patient. To learn more about ALS and the ALS Society of BC, visit www.alsbc.ca .

struggled to accept what he calls a “horrific development,” and the impact the diagnosis would have on him and his work. MacKenzie said that medical staff are compassionate, but the medical system doesn’t have the resources needed to help patients fully adjust to their new life with ALS. Shortly after his diagnosis, MacKenzie connected with the ALS Society of BC—a non-profit organization dedicated to helping BC-based ALS patients navigate and manage their lives in the context of their diagnosis. At first, MacKenzie needed the society: it provides patients, their families, and caregivers with a range of support services, including a loan equipment program that supplies items like bathroom equipment, beds, communication aids, and wheelchairs to ALS patients. “Despite the hardships,” he said, “I have found great pride in continuing my work as a professional engineer,” said MacKenzie, who continues to hold full-time employment with TransLink. Now, the society needs MacKenzie. He serves on its board of directors, and lends his engineering expertise to its recent efforts to incorporate high-tech equipment into the society’s loan program. MacKenzie evaluates high-tech equipment, like custom software, apps, user interfaces, and

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