The Winner of the 2000 Nicholson Award for the International Caregiver of the Year was Cor De Wilde from The Netherlands

Cor De Wilde

Cor de Wilde’s wife, Ann de Wilde-Versteeg, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1966. Cor has been nursing and supporting Ann for 33 years now, for better or worse.

Besides looking after Ann over these years, Cor has also helped to run the household and take care of their two boys who were born in 1969 and 1973. Until a few years ago, Cor even had a full-time job.

Ann’s condition has been deteriorating seriously since 1984 and she is now totally dependent and can barely speak. Ann is unable to drink or eat without help and needs assistance several times during the night. A few hours of professional care is available to Ann during the week, but at the weekends and during the holiday season she is totally dependent on Cor. His explanation for this devotion is: "I love my wife and do this for her gladly". Cor stopped working a few years ago in order to help his wife whenever she needs it, day or night.

Cor’s dedication has gone beyond nursing his wife; for example, he is doing a lot of work within the “Zuid-Holland Oost” (South-Holland East) of the Dutch Multiple Sclerosis Society. He has also been part of the workgroup "Lotgenoten Contact" (“Fellow-sufferers Contact”) since 1995. This team organises 4 or 5 weekend or midweek breaks every year for people with MS and their partners/caregivers. A number of severely disabled participants are accommodated and Cor tries to find sponsors to help finance these events and support participants who cannot afford the trips themselves.

Trained nurses, volunteers and discussion-leaders come together to provide the necessary support and care that people with MS need at each of these events. It takes a lot of time and effort to locate, organise and co-ordinate all these people, especially when it involves finding wheelchair accessible places that can hold around 50 people to include people with MS, their partners, children, carers, volunteers and staff. In spite of all these difficulties, the team does the job with great pleasure and is grateful for Cor’s hard work and commitment to the job.

Because of his high involvement and his ability to motivate other people, the judges of this year’s Nicholson Award for the International Caregiver of the Year therefore unanimously voted Mr. Cor de Wilde as the winner for the year 2000.

Cor was presented with a silver salver from Boodle and Dunthorne in Regents Street, London, engraved appropriately. Boodle and Dunthorne, the longest standing independent English family-owned company established in 1798, has been providing the prize for the Nicholson Award since its inception in 1984. In addition Cor’s name has been added to a plaque that is kept at the International Federation office.