The Winner of the 1997 Nicholson Award for the International Caregiver of the Year was Mrs Josy Baumann from Switzerland

Mrs Josy Baumann

Mrs. Josy Baumann, 75 years old, started her activities of active support of persons with MS more than 25 years ago during a 4-week break organised by the Swiss MS Society for a group of people who were severely disabled and needed a change of surroundings and atmosphere and by doing so gave their carers a much-needed break from their daily routine. Josy gave around-the-clock care to two persons with MS during this break, taking them on excursions, visits and trips organised by the camp.

In 1976 she became one of the seven co-founders of the regional branch of the Swiss MS Society in Zurich. The branch now serves nearly 200 persons with MS with services of transportation, personal visits, doctor"s visits, group excursions etc. she organises at least 12 to 20 events each year.

She is a regular visitor to a number of persons with MS who are either at home or in nursing homes. She has motivated and instructed numerous volunteers to take care of persons with MS throughout the different stages of illness.

Josy had the talent and perseverance to convince one of the big Swiss Banks to put up the necessary money to enable the Zurich branch members to go on an accompanied two week vacation together and in this situation she worked both as the organiser and as a carer.

Josy was heavily involved in establishing permanent home-stays for persons with MS who were no longer to live alone or with their families. She gave PR support and made other people give generously for the cause. She has looked after many of the persons with MS during the transfer period into their new living situation but also continued the support once they had settled in.

Josy Baumann has given around 30 hours a week to people with MS over the past 25 years. In doing this she has built many close relationships with them and says that she does not regret one minute of the time spent.

The immense moral and personal support she has given to so many people with MS is well worth being honoured and recognised, yet Josy has insisted that if she wins the award it should also be given to the other volunteers who are part of her team back in Zurich.