Our Team

Michelle Franklin

Chief Executive Officer

Email: michelle@epilepsyswo.ca

Mary Secco

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Email: mary@epilepsyswo.ca

Rochelle Sorzano

Epilepsy Educator, Thames Valley
Community Epilepsy Liaison at Children's Hospital, LHSC

Email: rochelle@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Rochelle Sorzano

I started working at Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario in September 2011. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from McMaster University and a Certificate in Non-profit Project Management from Humber College. I have had an unusual career path, some of my careers to date include working in the Canadian Armed Forces, teaching ESL in South Korea and working four non profits in London and area. My goal is to make a positive contribution to the lives of as many people as possible. When I am not working, I love to spend my time travelling (over 25 countries so far), hiking with my dog, Rolo, and painting.

As an Epilepsy Educator at ESWO, my role and responsibilities are to provide information to parents, school staff, classmates and caregivers. A quarter of job is spent presenting epilepsy and seizure first aid information in classrooms to students and teachers through the Student Support. Another twenty five percent of my job is providing information through the Clinic to Community program to newly diagnosed families and parents. I also have the opportunity to work as a Community Epilepsy Liaison at Children’s Hospital, LHSC in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Clinic. The last twenty five percent of my job is presenting to colleges/ universities, community agencies and workplaces about epilepsy and seizure first aid.

Amanda Ing

Epilepsy Educator, Windsor Essex

Email: amanda@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Amanda Ing

Amanda Ing, an Ontario Certified teacher, joined our team as an Epilepsy Educator in Windsor and Chatham. Amanda is an alumna of the University of Windsor, where she earned two Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Education respectively. She has lived in the United States and South Korea as an expatriate teacher and volunteering in international organizations. She has extensive experience in providing transition support for women and families. Her Board and committee work has generated significant funding for charitable organizations both home and abroad. When not working, she enjoys cooking new foods, playing mahjong, and cycling with her husband and three daughters. In the words of one of her twin daughters, she "fixes everything when everyone else is a disaster".

Deanna Henry

Epilepsy Educator, Sarnia Lambton

Email: deanna@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Deanna Henry

Deanna is our new Educator in Sarnia. She completed her B.Ed. from Nipissing University in 2007 and a B.Sc. in Health Science and Psychology Minor at Brock University in 2006 and since then has worked in a variety of settings providing support and education to youth and adults from all different backgrounds. She has over 10 years' experience in planning, implementing and evaluating educational and health programs. Her career has taken her to agencies such as Bethlehem Housing and Support Services in Niagara, at a Youth Shelter in inner city Guadalajara, Mexico and at a Hospital for Children with Disabilities (CRIT) also in Guadalajara, Mexico. She is excited to join our team and continue to follow her passion in Health Education and Support.

Sandra Pidduck

Epilepsy Educator, Chatham Kent

Email: sandra@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Sandra Pidduck

A Chatham-Kent native, Sandra graduated with a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Waterloo in 1990 and went on to get her Masters of Health Administration in 2000. She has spent her career working in a variety of health care settings in London and Chatham area. She did three years working with the Provincial Office of the Canadian Cancer Society educating the public about cancer prevention in Southwestern Ontario. When not working, she is travelling, gardening, doing genealogy and trying to keep up with her teenage daughter. Sandra is really excited to join the team at Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario and to promote epilepsy awareness in children.

Nicola Cherniak

Client Services Manager

Email: nicola@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Nicola Cherniak

My involvement with Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario began while completing a 500-hour Social Service Work student placement. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at ESWO and wanted to continue making a difference in the lives of those affected by epilepsy and seizure disorders. Now, as the Client Services Manager, I strive to create a barrier free community where there is no stigma associated with epilepsy. My job as Client Services Manager involves managing and facilitating programming for adults and youth, case management, and providing education and advocacy for our clients.

I completed an Undergraduate degree in Sociology at Western University in 2014. After working for a major financial institution for 3 years, I decided to go back to school to pursue a career in Social Services. I completed my studies in June 2017, and have been working with ESWO ever since. I am a registered Social Service Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

I have a wide array of interests and in my spare time you can find me at the cottage, gardening, decorating, and spending time with my husband and two rescue dogs, Chloe and Colin.

Bailey Tschirsow

Outreach and Events Director

Email: bailey@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Bailey Tschirsow

My involvement as a staff member at ESWO began in December, 2014. Prior to this, I worked with youth in an entrepreneurship program, helping them expand their career options or consider self-employment. I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Studies and a Postgraduate program in Communications and Public Relations. My goal is to impact the lives of others in a positive way. With the help of our clients and community, I hope to host exciting fundraisers and awareness initiatives for our agency. I love to spend my spare time with my golden doodle pup, Ralph; enjoy camping and hope to visit as many provincial parks as possible.

Melissa Pushelberg

Multimedia Designer

Email: melissa@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Melissa Pushelberg

I started working at Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario as a Multimedia Designer in February 2018. Prior to working here I worked for another marketing company in London and then decided I needed to be utilizing my skills to help people rather than sell to them. As a Multimedia Designer at ESWO, I strive to create engaging graphic content for the ESWO events and marketing material. As well as, manage the website and third party events.

I graduated with an Integrated Three Year Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Information and Technoculture from Western University and a Two Year Media Theory and Production Diploma from Fanshawe College.

I spend my free time mostly working my other job as a wedding and lifestyle photographer, along with binge watching Netflix series and playing recreational volleyball.

Reem Abdulhamid

Office Manager

Email: reem@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Reem Abdulhamid

My name is Reem Abdulhamid and I am the Clinic to Community Administrative Assistant at Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario. As an administrative assistant, my responsibilities consist of answering phone calls, generating tax receipts and data management. I was introduced to the organization in 2014 through my post-secondary placement program in Medical Office Administration. Upon completion of my two-year diploma program, I was given an offer to join such an inspirational organization. I am going on my second year working with Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario. My goal is to create a warm, welcoming environment and to support people living with epilepsy by directing their requests to the best resources. I am very outgoing and love spending my time with my husband, family and friends. In my spare time, I enjoy shopping, baking/cooking and playing volleyball.

Jayme Arts

YEP! Facilitator

Email: jayme@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Jayme Arts

I started working at Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario (ESWO) in January 2017 as part of my university practicum. During my practicum, I had the opportunity to help develop YEP! (Youth Engagement Program), created to help empower youth with epilepsy to build resilience and confidence in their lives. I have since completed my degree in Human Ecology with an Honors Specialization in Family Studies and a Major in Dimensions of Leadership. Currently, I am back at ESWO facilitating the program. YEP! is especially near to my heart because I personally have epilepsy. Previously, I worked in community development for the City of London and as a dress-up princess with a local entertainment company for children’s birthday parties. When I’m not working at ESWO, I work as a Community Connector at Childreach, a local non-profit organization. In my spare time, I love to travel, scrapbook, snowboard and act for a dinner theatre company. I also am an animal lover and spend a lot of my time with my two cats and dog.

Emma Jayne

Game On Project Manager

Email: emma@epilepsyswo.ca

×

Emma Jayne

I have been with Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario since September 2016 as the Activity Director of Game On. I am currently in my final year of my Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree at Western, which probably makes me the youngest member of the Epilepsy SWO team. I work alongside Tabitha to plan activities and run the Saturday program throughout the year. I am pursuing a career in medicine, specifically pediatrics, because I love working with kids (especially the ones at Game On). In my spare time I enjoy playing hockey, wake surfing, and reading – including my current favourite; Game of Thrones.

Volunteer With Us

The hard work and dedication of our volunteers make our major events so successful, help keep the office running smoothly and allow us to continue to provide programming. We are always looking for volunteers to help support our agency. Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering.
Learn More

A Proud Member Of

Skip to content