balance, muscle control, and other basic body functions. The effects are often different for everyone who has the disease. Some people havemild symptoms, while others have trouble getting around and doing daily tasks. MS happens when the immune system attacks a fattymaterial calledmyelin, which wraps around nerve fibers to protect them. Without this outer shell, nerves become damaged. The damage means the brain can’t send signals through the body correctly. The nerves therefore sometimes don’t work properly, making it a struggle to perform daily tasks. Since being diagnosed with the disease, Karen has often had to battle several bouts of challenges. “One time, I was in the hospital for 11 weeks and I couldn’t feel anything from under my neck,” she admitted, emo- tions appearing in her face. “My son family
and friends would visit me often. Whenmy son came and kissedme all over my face, my mother had to move my arms in order for me to hug him. It was a tough time.” Yet, the experience managed to create a friendship that would last a lifetime. “The nurse that took care of me is still, to this day, my friend.” The disease, which has, for some years, released its strong hold on the hardworking volunteer, has still left her with some perma- nent damage. “Once, I was sitting down and watching television when the screen started going up and down,” she described. “I really didn’t know what was happening.” It turned out that her eyes had started fluttering, meaning they go up and down constantly. To this day, it still takes place. “I think my body got used to it,” she added, relaxed. “It all happened because MS de- stroyed the nerves I had connected to my eyes.”
But her battle with the disease was not in vain. She has helped countless individu- als afflicted with MS as well as their family members. “I love what I do,” she asserted, still smiling. “It’s very rewarding.” Yet Karen does admit that she does face some challenges. “I want to help everyone as soon as possible,” she said. “We all have different schedules, therefore I can’t always help everyone at the same time.” Also, the raising of funds can also become quite difficult. “The MS Society relies on donations and volunteers,” she explained. “We don’t have any salaried positions. So we have to organize several different sorts of fundraisers, such as the Run to End MS.” She also stresses that the mind frame of volunteers has changed within the past thirty years. “Back then, when people volunteered for an organization, they did a bit of everything,” she recalled. “Now, people choose to help out with one or two events and that’s it. I don’t blame them though, because everyone is stretched thin nowadays.”
with the Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee for the City of Cornwall. “A lot of people don’t know this, but Cornwall is ahead of a lot of other cities when it comes to accessibility for the disabled,” she asserted.” In addition, she was also a volunteer with the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, both at local schools and at the board level.There, she did everything fromhelping the principal of Holy Trinity to designwhat the school would like, to reading to kindergarten students. “It was a great feeling to help themout,” she expressed. “It started whenmy son was in school. Being a single mother, I could give a lot of my time back to the schools.” Karen has also recently decided to step down as volunteer office manager, in order to take a break. “There are somemornings that I wake up and I know I can’t do anything because of MS,” she explained. “Thankfully, I can call one of my volunteers who will takemy place.” After 31 years, the woman says she wants to take a break. But that certainly doesn’t mean she’ll stray far away from the world of volunteering. “Oh, I’m still going to volunteer,” she added laughing. “You’ll still see me out there. I’m just going to step down and take a smaller role.”
Une marche remplie de couleurs
An avid volunteer who wants to help others
Although she’s a familiar face within the MS Society’s local chapter, Karen has givenmuch of her time to other meaningful causes. She was, for a while, a volunteer
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Wednesday, October 26, 2016
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