Professor Ann Swillen receives the Edelweiss Award

Ann Swillen receives the Edelweiss AwardProfessor Ann Swillen, the Secretary of the 22q Society and a clinical educational psychologist in the Centre of Human Genetics in UZ Leuven, received the Edelweiss Award in the category "healthcare professional" on Saturday, February 29^th, 2020.

The Edelweiss Awards are presented annually by RaDiOrg, the Belgian umbrella association for people with rare diseases, to individuals and organizations that provide special merit for rare diseases in Belgium. The jury chose Professor Swillen because of her "incredible commitment to the care of patients with rare diseases and, in particular, patients with 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11 DS)". She is the initiator of numerous research projects on 22q11 DS and leads national and international research projects.

In addition, the jury appreciates her open and clear communication with patients and parents. A concrete example of this is the information and activity package 'Together we lay the puzzle' that she recently developed. Professor Swillen also organizes Dale & Do Sessions for teenagers with a 22q11 DS to talk about their thoughts and feelings and increase their self-confidence.

Congratulations, Professor Swillen!