Sandy Smeenk

Sandy Smeenk, is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The ILC Foundation (O/A The ILC Chronic Pain and Ehlers Danlos Charitable Foundation “The ILC”). Under Sandy’s leadership, The ILC has become a trusted resource to patients, healthcare and allied health professionals and to government. She has led awareness and education initiatives to include children and youth in the efforts to bridge gaps in EDS and Chronic Pain Care for people of all ages in Canada. Sandy was recognized as one of 16 Women Changing Healthcare in 2014 by Patient Commando; she is a member of the Chronic Pain Care Forum with the Michael DeGroot McMaster University National Pain Centre to develop a national pain strategy; she is on the Patient-Engagement Steering Committees as part of the Chronic Pain Network, comprising researchers from across Canada; Sandy is a member of the Patient Advisory Committee with the Canadian Medical Cannabis Council; and has led substantiate initiatives to influence Ministry of Health mandated programs for people with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and chronic pain. Sandy lives in Oakville with her husband and has three grown children.