5 students from ALS families in Canada win scholarships
ALS Canada's Kevin Daly fund honors patient advocate
Five students from across Canada whose lives have been directly affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) received scholarships to help them pursue post-secondary education.
Each ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary recipient will receive $2,500 for the 2025–2026 academic year. The scholarship program is designed for students with a parent, legal guardian, or relative who is living with ALS or who has died from the disease. At least one scholarship is awarded each year.
The scholarship fund was established in 2023 to honor Kevin Daly, a husband and father who was diagnosed with ALS in 2020 and died in 2024. Funding for the program is raised through a year-long donation campaign managed by the ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada) and the Telus Team Care program. Daly worked for Telus for more than 20 years.
“ALS Canada is honoured to work alongside Kevin’s family, friends, and supporters to carry on his legacy by supporting these five remarkable students in pursuing their dreams while making an impact in the ALS community,” Chris Pon, vice president of fund development at ALS Canada, said in a press release from the organization. “This bursary not only eases the financial burden of post-secondary education, but it also supports students who aspire to build careers that will advance ALS care, research, advocacy, and support people affected by the disease, contributing toward a world free of ALS.”
This year’s recipients were chosen for their academic ambitions in fields including healthcare, science, finance, and community support, as well as ongoing contributions to the ALS community through volunteering, advocacy, and fundraising.
Students’ interests include teaching, medicine, library studies
Jayson Brown, 18, plans to pursue a career in elementary education. He is beginning his studies at King’s University College in London, Ontario. After his father’s ALS diagnosis in 2022, he took on caregiving responsibilities while leading fundraising campaigns and media partnerships to raise ALS awareness. His efforts earned him his school’s Spirit Award for Courage.
Chris Clarke, MD, 30, is in his final year of residency in emergency medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He took a leave from training to help care for his father with ALS and later founded ALS Climbing for a Cure. He raised more than $24,000 for ALS research and support by summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, and plans to climb the remaining six of the Seven Summits — the highest mountains on each of the continents — to continue raising funds and awareness for ALS.
Madison Corkum, 18, is a second-year cognitive science student at Carleton University in Ottawa, focusing on neuroscience. She started caring for her grandmother with ALS when she was 13 and now also supports her mother, who has an ALS-related mutation. Corkum runs an ALS outreach page on Instagram and leads a Walk to End ALS team. Her goal is to become an occupational therapist or ALS researcher.
Paige Diewert, 22, is working on a master’s degree in library and information studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. As an undergraduate, she was the primary caregiver for her father, who had ALS. That experience motivated her to focus on improving access to information and resources for ALS families and fostering community support and education.
Peyton Schmidt, 17, is pursuing a degree in commerce at the University of Calgary in Alberta. She was a caregiver to her father with ALS, and led awareness initiatives in her school and sports communities. She hopes to use her education to become a leader in the corporate world and help reduce the financial burden that critical illnesses place on families.
“Being a significant part of a loved one’s ALS journey takes courage, resilience, compassion, and a lot of love,” said Elena Daly, Kevin Daly’s wife. “Being able to recognize young adults who have had to draw deep into these attributes helps to acknowledge the invaluable care and support they provide, and the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary is a meaningful way to honour that.”
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