After completing my training as a pediatric nurse at the Lucas Hospital in Amsterdam, I began working in 1988 in the pediatric neurology department at UMC Utrecht. During this time, I pursued nursing science studies at Utrecht University, conducting research on care perspectives in the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital.

In 2008, I started working as a nurse practitioner at the Spieren voor Spieren Kindercentrum and completed the nurse practitioner training program at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht. During this program, I specialized in neuromuscular diseases, particularly muscle disorders in childhood. As a nurse practitioner at the Spieren voor Spieren Kindercentrum, I provide care to children with (suspected) muscular disorders and their parents. Care coordination is an essential component of the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular diseases in childhood. This care requires a multidisciplinary approach. Using disease-specific protocols and guidelines, I plan investigations and interventions that form the foundation of good care and are tailored to the stage of the disease. As a care coordinator and key point of contact for the center, I aim to involve parents and children as much as possible, ensuring that their preferences regarding care remain central.

Since early 2017, I have been involved in the treatment of children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1 using Antisense Oligonucleotides. At the neuromuscular outpatient clinic, I examine and treat patients with MGUS-related polyneuropathy (Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance Polyneuropathy) under the supervision of a neurologist.