Local Student Awarded International Essential Tremor Foundation Scholarship
Lenexa, Kan. (PRWEB) January 12, 2016 -- The International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF) is pleased to award a $500 scholarship to student Nicholas Wintersteiger from Charlottesville, Va.., for the 2016-2017 academic year. Wintersteiger is one of four students from across the nation to receive a scholarship award from the IETF.
Wintersteiger is the type of person that just won’t allow something like having ET stop him from doing anything. This past summer he worked as an EMT on the rescue squad in Charlottesville. And although the job is extremely high stress, Nicholas didn’t let it affect his work. “ET is something that is with me all the time,” Wintersteiger said, “but it’s not something I think about all the time.”
Wintersteiger has learned he can still do whatever he wants, but occasionally he has to do it in a different way. He practices strategies, tests options, and notes outcomes. Having a mother who’s an occupational therapist doesn’t hurt either. She taught him early on the drive and persistence needed to make the trial and error method work could also go a long way in helping him achieve his personal and educational goals.
Wintersteiger is majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology and hopes to be able to help others overcome their own medical challenges, by training as a physician’s assistant. “[ET] makes me more determined to reach my goals. I know the traits I developed because of my ET will support my plans for the future,” Wintersteiger said.
Essential tremor is a neurological condition that affects more than 10 million Americans. ET causes rhythmic shaking of the hands, head, and voice. ET is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, although eight times more common. ET is characterized by action tremor, making everyday tasks such as eating, drinking, and writing difficult if not impossible. There is no cure for this life-altering condition.
IETF scholarships are awarded to qualified students of all ages who have been diagnosed with ET, to lessen the burden of higher education. The scholarship can be used for supplies, books or tuition at licensed, accredited institutions of higher education (including trade schools) and are paid directly to the educational institution. For more information about the IETF scholarship program, please visit http://www.essentialtremor.org/about-the-ietf/scholarships.
About The International Essential Tremor Foundation:
Headquartered in Lenexa, KS, and founded in 1988, the International Essential Tremor Foundation is the leading organization in the world dedicated to those affected by essential tremor. The mission of the IETF is to fund research that will find the cause of essential tremor and lead to better treatments and a cure, increase awareness about ET, and provide educational materials, tools and support to healthcare providers, the public, and those directly affected by ET.
The IETF has distributed nearly $1 million in research grants, to fund numerous promising studies, in the search for the cause of ET. The Foundation has hosted numerous community awareness events across the U.S. to provide those affected with the basic knowledge necessary to become their own advocate when seeking treatment. And, the IETF also provides assistance to a vast network of support groups around the world. To learn more about essential tremor and the IETF mission, visit the IETF website at http://www.essentialtremor.org.
Patrick McCartney, International Essential Tremor Foundation, http://www.essentialtremor.org, +1 888-387-3667, [email protected]
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