Friends and family of the Cowichan Valley’s Kayla Peyman and the community are embracing her as she begins her fight against multiple sclerosis.
Peyman, who is a nurse, was diagnosed with MS just weeks ago after she began experiencing health issues.
So far, MS has affected her vision, created issues with balance and weakness in her legs and has altered her sensation in her hands and lower half of her body.
“This has been devastating and terrifying for me,” Peyman said
“I’m passionate about health and wellness and I think there’s a little piece of all of us that assumes ‘that won’t happen to me’ until all of a sudden, you get the slap in the face that is the diagnosis of an incurable disease. Emotions have been at an all-time high this past month through the diagnostic process.”
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One possible treatment to stop Peyton’s MS progressing is HSCT therapy (haematopoietic stem cell transplantation), which is an intense chemotherapy which basically resets the immune system by using your own stem cells.
For this treatment, Peyman has to go to Mexico because the treatment is difficult and time consuming to access in Canada, and it will cost more than $90,000, but friends and family have stepped in and are organizing fundraisers to help pay for the treatment.
Nicole Lynch, one of the organizers of the fundraisers which include a beer-and-burger night at Red Arrow Brewing on Sept. 13 and a silent online auction, said Peyman is the friend that everyone needs in their life.
“She faces everything in life with such positivity, love and unselfishness,” Lynch said.
“If you were speaking to her today, you would feel that no one else was in the room because she would give you 100 per cent of her undivided attention and you would feel like a friend she has known for eternity. She is truly loved by the people in her life and everyone who crosses her path.”
Jacqueline Easthom, another organizer, said Peyman’s diagnosis with MS have obviously been life altering, and extremely challenging for her.
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“Despite this, she continues to do incredible work to keep a positive mindset, to practice gratitude and love the life she has been blessed with,” Easthom said.
“She is an inspiration to others to keep their energy elevated, to see the silver lining in all of life’s turbulent journeys, and to always know that there is more to learn, more to discover, and more to be grateful for.”
Lynch, Easthom and other friends and colleagues have been going door-to-door to businesses, organizations and individuals in the community asking for items for the silent auction, with the bidding opening on Sept. 6 and running until Sept 13 at 8 p.m.
Lynch said that, so far, silent auction items include spa services, local crafts, personal-training sessions and health-related products.
“The most touching was a limited-edition painting by Vancouver Island artist Coco Jones that was donated by the E.J. Hughes Gallery,” she said.
“Jones also has MS and is working through her diagnosis, so that’s a particularly special donation that will be auctioned off as well.”
The auction items are now available to be viewed at the Facebook page called “Silent Auction for Kayla; Let’s help Her Fight MS”, the QR Code is below, and they will be available for in-person viewing at the burger-and-beer event at Red Arrow Brewing, which will be held on Sept. 13 at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are $30, and include one burger and one beer.
Live music for the event is being arranged by Wayne Montgomery.
Email Amber at agregson321@gmail for tickets to the beer-and-burger event, or text her at 250-888-8885.
There will also be a bottle drive on Sept. 30 for Peyman outside the Island Return It Duncan depot, located at 6476 Norcross Rd., from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There is also an account opened under the name Kayla’s MS that people can donate their bottles to now at the bottle depot.
People just need to ask to donate the proceeds of their bottle return to QR code for Peyman’s account at checkout.
For donations to the cause or for more information, contact Easthom at Jreasthom@yahoo.com, or Lynch at dnlynch120@gmail.com.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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