Andrew McFadyen

Andrew McFadyen (born July 7, 1977) is the Executive Director of The Isaac Foundation, a non-profit organization created to fund viable and innovative research projects that aim to find a cure for MPS VI, a rare and progressive disease of which his eldest son, Isaac, was diagnosed. The Isaac Foundation has funded numerous international research grants over the past six years, totalling over .5 million dollars. Isaac, the McFadyens, and The Isaac Foundation, have been featured in articles in newspapers throughout the United States and Canada, includingThe Globe and Mail, The Independent, Kingston Life Magazine, Sun Media, and The Community Press. Two projects, in particular, are showing incredibly promising results and will lead to innovative new ways to treat the disease. One project is reversing all signs of bone and joint disease in the lab setting, and the second promising project (gene therapy) is set to begin human clinical trials in early 2016.

Contents

• Big rock reading series with steven d schroeder and andrew mcfadyen ketchum
• Everyday hero andrew mcfadyen
• References

Andrew has led numerous advocacy efforts throughout North America and has succeeded in having government decisions that have denied treatment for children reversed, reversals that helped provide these children the hope of a positive and healthy future. (Northumberland Today, Sun News Network, Toronto Sun, and more in this archive)

Andrew has helped to shape public policy throughout Canada with respect to availability of million dollar per-year treatments for children dying from rare diseases, and continues to work and support families as they deal with the struggles of diagnosis and the ramifications that come with such devastating news. (Alberta Wildrose Statement, Edmonton Sun, The Globe and Mail)

McFadyen and The Isaac Foundation were featured in the fall edition of GO Magazine for their work with families dealing with MPS diseases throughout Canada.

Under McFadyen's leadership, The Isaac Foundation has found public support and advocacy in musicians (John Mayer, Ron Sexsmith, The Tragically Hip, and Danny Michel), and sports figures (Toronto Blue Jays' pitcher, Roy Halladay).

In 2013, McFadyen created a second non-profit corporation called Equal Access for Rare Disorders and has continued work fighting for fair and equitable access to treatments for children affected by rare diseases throughout Canada and the United States. In addition to working with families, McFadyen visits classrooms and delivers presentations to pharmaceutical companies about his experiences working with families and government.

Andrew is also a grade 7/8 teacher for the Limestone District School Board. He received his Bachelor of Arts and his Bachelor of Education degrees from Queen's University and has spent his entire teaching career at Winston Churchill Public School.

McFadyen is the author of the educational resource, The Educator's Guide to the Vinyl Cafe, first published in 2008. The book was planned and collaboratively written with Stuart McLean, host of CBC radio's The Vinyl Cafe.

Andrew was a 2009 nomination contestant for the Federal Liberal riding of Northumberland-Quinte West for the Liberal Party of Canada along with Christine Herrington and Kim Rudd.

Andrew lost his nomination battle during the nomination convention on September 10, 2009. McFadyen was officially endorsed by the Hon. Christine Stewart, former Liberal MP for Northumberland-Quinte West, "Andrew's generation represents Canada's future and that of my grandchildren. I believe Northumberland Quinte West will benefit from both his commitment to a better community and a better Canada, and, his values and his empathy for those from all walks of life. I am happy to entrust my country's future to Andrew McFadyen as our representative in Ottawa."

He was also officially endorsed from an out of riding celebrity, Rob Baker of The Tragically Hip, who said “A man of passion, principle and tireless energy, Andrew will make an excellent elected representative for the people of NQW.”

McFadyen has been a guest lecturer at Queen's University's Faculty of Education, lecturing to education students and to International Education Professors. He is a Teaching Excellence Fellow for Queen's University's Interactive Technology program. He lives in Campbellford, Ontario with his wife Ellen, and their two children, Isaac and Gabriel.