MS Walk an important cause for Stettler woman

For the last 15 years, Philippa Brysiuk has taken part in the Red Deer Jayman Built MS Walk.

The 57-year-old Stettler woman, who has Multiple Sclerosis herself and says she has no feeling in her legs from the thighs down, will do so once again this Sunday.

“I use a walker and a cane. Things come and go, mostly the fatigue and the inability to walk. My balance is a trick — you’ll see me walking down the street and it looks like I’ve been drinking for a week,” she jokes. “Sometimes if I’m sitting down, you can’t tell I have MS, but if I’m up walking, it’s pretty obvious.”

She also deals with speech issues because of the disease, saying at times she really has to search for the right words.

“I pretty much ignore what I can and deal with what I can’t.”

2024 Spring Rocket League Tournament

St. Patrick's Community School Esports team wins top spot in national tournament

9h ago

update

Mistrial declared in case against Red Deer massage therapist

15h ago

Rev it!

City of Red Deer offers free decibel reading event this Saturday

15h ago

Brysiuk and her team, the Memory Lapses, have raised more than $100,000 over the last decade-and-a-half and are aiming to add at least $10,000 more to that total this year.

She says people shouldn’t be discouraged from getting involved due to myths like pharmaceutical companies hiding things that could lead to a cure.

“They’re doing stem cell transplant trials. It does go to client services, and if anybody knows someone with MS, you know that client services are a crucial thing, especially if you don’t have family to help you,” she explains.

“You need to donate to the things that matter to you of course. If you don’t support them, who’s going to? Client services in Alberta are second to none, these guys are fantastic. They travel all over a huge area to continue to give us support, whether it’s emotional or financial, they will do what they need to do to help us.”

Brysiuk adds the support from the community in Stettler, her family and her team continues to inspire her.

“We’d like MS to be like Polio where everybody’s heard of it, but nobody has it.”

The Red Deer Jayman Built MS Walk goes this Sunday starting with registration at 8 a.m. The walk begins at 9 a.m.

To register or for more information, click here.