The MADA INTERNATIONAL award is awarded to an individual who has displayed outstanding dedication or has been responsible for exceptional accomplishments of international significance in the field of multiple-births with a Canadian element or impact on the Canadian multiple-birth community.

The 2018 Making a Difference International Award winner is Monica Rankin

Monica Rankin has been the chair of ICOMBO (International Council of Multiple Birth Organisations) since 2012. In order to get the details of her involvement internationally and with her local chapter in Australia, we tricked her into sending something she was asked to put together herself about her 28 years of volunteer experience...

While at ICOMBO:

She worked in a team to take ICOMBO from a working group of International Society of Twin Studies (ISTS) to an independent body, creating membership and a financial status (until this time ICOMBO had never received any funds).

During her time as Chair, ICOMBO has gone from being seen by many twin researchers as a mothers of twins group, to be a creditable, respected and valued part of the wider research community.

Monica was invited to speak at Melbourne Twins Conference, hosted by TRA in Melbourne in 2014 as well as the ISTS Satellite Meeting, in Brisbane in 2016.

She was on planning committee for, and invited to speak at, the Twins & Multiples Community Forum, hosted by TRA in Melbourne in 2017.

Monica sourced and co-edited a book on Adolescent Multiples that is now available free of charge for all members of ICOMBO.

She has co-authored papers on zygosity that were published in British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG).

She is currently co-authoring a paper that will discuss the lack of research in many areas concerned with multiples and their families.

She is currently on an international group working to improve outcomes for selected Fetal Growth Restriction, that affects many multiples.

Monica is currently on a steering group that is working to identify the top priorities for research in twin and multiple births.

In her own words:

“I have been on the committee of my local multiple birth group Casey & District Multiple Birth Association Incorporated since 1990. I joined the committee when my twins were 6 months old, and I am still there.”