MS Society of Canada celebrates month of awareness
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- Published on Thursday, May 5, 2016
Submitted photo. Rick Chrest, Mayor of Brandon, signed an official proclamation on May 2, making May the official month of awareness for MS in the city of Brandon.
By Kira Paterson
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
The MS Society of Canada is marking May as MS Awareness Month. On Monday, May 2, Brandon mayor Rick Chrest signed a proclamation making it official in the city of Brandon. The MS Society flag will now be flying outside Brandon’s city hall for the whole month. The society is also trying to get responses like that of Rick Chrest in other communities. World MS Day takes place on May 25, which is why May is being recognized as the month of awareness.
MS (multiple sclerosis) is a disease that attacks the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. The disease damages nerves, interrupting or completely blocking the impulses traveling through the body, which can cause a number of issues, depending on where the damage is.
There are many different signs and symptoms of MS and those diagnosed often only show a few. Some symptoms include numbness, dizziness, fatigue, difficulty walking, visual impairments and pain.
The disease progresses slowly and for many, diagnosis can mean the start of a huge change in lifestyle. People of all ages can be affected, however, it is most often diagnosed in ages between 15 and 40 years old.
For people who have been diagnosed with MS and are looking for support, or are just looking for more information about the disease, the MS Society has created Coffee Crews. Coffee Crews are monthly support groups for those suffering from MS. The sessions in this area are led by Laura Flikweert, manager of the MS Society Westman chapter. The Westman chapter of the MS Society is based out of Brandon, but it includes communities in our area, such as Neepawa and Carberry. In Brandon, the morning Coffee Crew meets the first Thursday of every month and the evening crew meets the third Wednesday. Flikweert travels to Neepawa the second Wednesday of every month for a local Coffee Crew meeting at 10:00 am at Country Meadows Personal Care Home. She also leads a Coffee Crew in Carberry on the same days as the Neepawa meetings, starting at 1:00 pm at The Robin’s Nest. The date of the next Coffee Crew meetings in Neepawa and Carberry is May 11.
“The group is very informal and gives us a chance to talk about some of the issues we are dealing with and gain some knowledge and help to cope with our individual symptoms,” explained Janet Bonney, a member of the Neepawa Coffee Crew, who has been living with MS for a number of years. She mentioned that all cases of MS are different and she didn’t even know about some of the symptoms before she started going to the meetings. “Learning to live with MS can be difficult for some and to accept each stage and symptom is often a new reality that needs to be addressed. The support group is a safe environment to do that and to learn how to be responsible for one’s health,” she said. “Although MS is a frustrating disease, in that you can’t do some of the things you would like and it can be a challenge and a burden at times, it does not define me and I can accept the fact that I need to change my goals and adjust some plans for my life. It does take time, but with acceptance, one is able to get on with learning to live well with MS.”
Flikweert said that the MS Society’s Westman chapter is trying to reach out to the smaller communities in the area, as currently, Neepawa and Carberry are the only communities other than Brandon involved with the society. “My biggest goal over the next year is to get more support in the rural areas,” Flikweert said. She said she’s seen “pockets” of people with MS who need more support in a few of the rural Westman communities and she hopes to be able to get activities and services set up where they’re needed.
A new support network that has started recently is a national peer support program. Flikweert explained that this program will partner an MS patient who is struggling with some aspect of their diagnosis with someone anywhere in Canada who has also been diagnosed with MS who has learned to deal with the issues or has found ways to address their struggles. The two keep in contact through phone or email and provide peer support for each other.
There is also an international social media campaign going on during the month, which focuses on what independence means for those diagnosed with MS. The hastags #TeamFight, #endMS and #strongerthanMS are taking over social media sites, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Currently, there is no cure for MS, but researchers continue to look for new treatments and hopefully, one day, a complete cure. One of the things people can do to help in that effort is participate in the MS Society’s fundraisers to raise money for this research.
In May, the Westman chapter has organized an MS Walk fundraiser in Brandon. There are two options for the length of the route; there is a two kilometre or a three and a half kilometre walk. The route starts at Victoria Inn, with check-in starting at 11:30 am and the walk commencing at 1:00 pm on Sunday, May 15.
There will also be a walk going on in Portage la Prairie on May 29. That walk will take place at the PCU Centre, with check-in at noon and the walk starting at 1:00 pm. There is a two kilometre or five kilometre option for that route. To register for an MS walk, go to www.mswalks.ca.
For more information on MS, visit the MS Society of Canada’s website, mssociety.ca, or join a Coffee Crew in the community. Those living in a community without a Coffee Crew that would be interested in creating one or starting a different MS support service in their community are encouraged to contact Laura Flikweert by phone at 204-571-5671 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
