Interview with Han Kruyswijk (Mr.), Secretary of the Marijke Foundation (December 17, 2014)
Aujourd’hui, l’intiative PerMondo, (qui offre des traductions gratuites pour les associations sans but lucratif) a un entretien avec M. Han Kruyswijk.
- What exactly is it what you are doing?
The Symptomatrix Team of the Marijke Foundation, we have developed a dedicated and scientifically based symptom checker, the Symptomatrix, for Early Recognition and Early Diagnosis of two Rare Diseases: Giant Cell Arteriitis (GCA) and Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR). The diseases are usually hard to recognize and to diagnose for family doctors and specialists.
Both diseases are rheumatic inflammations of the arteries in the head and in other parts of the body. In particular GCA may develop fatally if not recognized in an early stage.
The diseases are more common in women than in men by a ratio of 3:1 and more common in white than colored patients, aged appr. 45 years and over.
The Symptomatrix is published on the internet in five languages: Dutch, English, German, French and Spanish and is easily accessible for anyone, including family doctors and medical specialists.
- How long have you been working for the Marijke Foundation and what do you like most about your work there?
The Marijke Foundation was initiated in May 2003 by my wife, and formally established in July 2003 by me after my wife Marijke died from GCA. She could have stayed alive and cured if GCA had been recognized and treated earlier, specialists said.
Since then, I have been the center of activities as the secretary of the small team of five professionals.
Trying to help to prevent patients around the world from fatal progression of GCA is the most appealing part in my work.
- What do you think to what extend impacts your individual work and the work of Marijke Foundation in general the society?
Every year appr. 4 million patients around the world come to suffer from the diseases. Not only the diseases hit them hard but also treatment with steroids (prednisolon) because of the irreversible side effects. So, the main impact of our work is to help to prevent patients from all of this.
- How have you heard about PerMondo?
Accidentally I came across PerMondo by searching the internet for possibilities for translation of our Spanish website preferably without costs as we are a charity with limited financial funds. In the PerMondo / Mondo Agit formula we found the right mixture of charity and commercial values.
- For what did you need the translation(s)?
For translation of updated texts for the Spanish websites.
What would you tell the voluntary translators?
In particular on behalf of the patients that may benefit from the Symptomatrix I am very grateful for their voluntary support of our work.
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