One day when Cathie McCahon was leaving work she ran down the stairs, was walking across the parking lot and all of a sudden her legs gave out. She had pins and needles from her thighs to her feet. She sat there for a few minutes not knowing what had happened. Her family joked she might have tied her shoelaces too tight that day and thought nothing of it. Soon after that incident she started to lose her vision. So Cathie went to her doctor and within a week she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. That was in 1990.
Today, Cathie says life can be very challenging, especially after being independent for so many years. She stays active by participating in swimming, and has a wheelchair Bowflex at home.
Cathie is also an active fundraiser for the MS Society and has participated in every Duncan MS Walk since the first one in 2000. She personally has raised over $44,000 and Cathie's Team MS has raised over $100,000 to date. The MS Society has provided her with many support services over the years and she hopes the research she has helped fund will one day soon find a cure for MS.
Since its founding in 1948, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada has acted as a key partner to the MS research community. The MS Society currently provides over $10 million per year to MS research and is the single largest funder of MS research in Canada.
The Society also provides programs and services to help those affected by multiple sclerosis to achieve the highest possible quality of life while living with the daily challenges that MS presents.
The Duncan MS Walk is an inclusive and family oriented event with face painting, balloons, coffee & continental breakfast, healthy lunch, doggie treats & bandanas, motivational speakers and lots of community spirit. All routes are wheel chair accessible. For more information or to register go to www.mswalks.ca or call the local MS Society office at 250-748-7010.