History
In 1984, with the help of the press and a contact at Muscular Dystrophy Canada, Linda Scanlon founded an MG patient group to support her daughter with Congenital MG and create a space where individuals living with the condition could connect. This group later became known as the Myasthenia Gravis Ontario Chapter (MGOC).
Cap Cowan’s journey with MG began in 2008 when he attended an MGOC support meeting. Recognizing the critical need for a strong advocacy group, he volunteered to become president when the position became vacant.
In 2014, with the help of the dedicated directors, the MGOC transitioned into an independent national non-share capital corporation under the name Myasthenia Gravis Society of Canada (MGSC). This has been the name our organization has gone by ever since. The charity designation for MGSC, under the Income Tax Act, was subsequently obtained in 2016. This important change allowed the organization to issue its own tax receipts to our generous donors and to use funds raised to support MG education and research directly.
The Myasthenia Gravis Society of Canada is sincerely grateful for the support of Cap and his wife, Betty. Their support has been invaluable to the MG community, and Cap’s legacy continues to inspire our work at the Myasthenia Gravis Society of Canada today.
Generous volunteers have shared their time and and energy in support of our mission: empowering Canadians affected by Myasthenia Gravis. We are so very appreciative of our many volunteers! If you would like to be part of our team and make a difference in the MG community, we would love to hear from you.
To learn more, visit us at: mgcanada.org/volunteer
Through the Years
1984
- Linda Scanlon founds an MG Support Group to support her daughter, who was diagnosed with congenital MG. This group would eventually become MGSC.
2008
- Cap Cowen attends an MGOC meeting. Recognizing the critical need for a strong advocacy group, he soon volunteers to become president.
2014
- MGOC transitions into an independent national non-share capital corporation under the name Myasthenia Gravis Society of Canada (MGSC).
2016
- Weekly support groups started by Linda MacMullen in the summer of 2016
2019
- The first MGSC newsletter was released by Cap Cowen in September 2019. Our newsletter is still going strong. It has been redesigned and reimagined and is releasing bi-annually now.
2023
- Webinars began to be offered to the community in early 2023, and the MGSC became Canada-wide.
2024
- MGSC gets a complete rebrand.