MS Society, Simcoe Muskoka Chapter

Join one of our brand-new community groups on Facebook! 2020 was a challenging year for most, and we are all missing connecting with our community. With that in mind, we have launched community connection groups - a space for people affected by MS to come together and share their lived experiences, provide support and advice, and connect with one another. Think of the community groups like a one-stop shop for anything you might want the larger MS community to know. Hosting ...a fundraising event? Post it! Know about a program happening in your community? Post it! Want to connect with others in your area who may be on a similar journey with their MS? Post that too! Join our new Central Ontario Community Group today to share stories, learn about local events and initiatives, receive regional updates, and more, while connecting with other people from the Greater Toronto Area; including Durham, Northumberland, York Region, Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Simcoe-Muskoka, Peel-Dufferin, Hamilton-Halton and Niagara: https://www.facebook.com/groups/424433108754529 Please note, we will be closing this account and moving our communications to these regional groups on January 15. To continue to receive regional updates and hear stories about community members from Ontario, follow the MS Society of Canada Ontario page on Facebook and MS Society of Canada - Ontario on Instagram.

It’s going to be very hard to celebrate this joyous time without my mother this year. There are no real words to describe how it feels. It’s extremely disappoi...nting, and it hurts. Shelby was just a child when her mother Cara was diagnosed with MS. When she turned six years old, her mother moved into a long-term care facility, where they continued their relationship through weekly visits and daily phone calls. "Our relationship was just different. It wasn’t built on 'normal' mother-daughter terms - it was built on hospital coffees, crib games between doctor's appointments, and care home activities." But everything changed when the pandemic hit. As strict public health restrictions around COVID-19 separate loved ones in many locations this holiday season, Shelby shares her perspective on how difficult the pandemic has been for those inside - and the loved ones stuck outside long-term care facilities across Canada. I haven’t been able to enter my mom’s long-term care facility since October. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to explain to her the severity of the pandemic and why I can’t visit her, Shelby says. My phone calls to her have increased. We usually singing some old rock and roll songs, much to the dismay of everyone’s ears around us. As we approach the holidays, we’ve started to take advantage of video calling. My mom is legally blind, so while she may not be able to see me, it’s always nice for me to see her and know that she’s doing okay. Over the past few years, Cara’s MS has progressed more with her now permanently relying on a wheelchair to get around and having lost almost all of her sight. As a result, it’s become increasingly difficult to bring her mother home for the holidays. Since 2015, my family has booked a room in her facility on Christmas Day to celebrate with her. That’s been our tradition for the past four years. Luckily this year, my mom’s long-term care facility in Saskatoon is allowing drop-offs for residents. My family will be dropping off her gifts on Christmas Eve, as well as some of her favourite holiday treats. No pandemic will stop her from getting her cherry tarts! In an effort to keep her mother's spirits up, Shelby often calls her twice a day. I want my mom to know that I understand that it’s an incredibly isolating time for her. I want to do everything I can to make up for it. We were dealt some unfair cards this year, but we are stronger than a pandemic. It might not be the holiday season that we’re used to, but it’s still the holidays, and I want to make it as special as possible for her. - Shelby, mother lives with MS Join Shelby in sending your holiday messages to Cara and other Canadians living with MS in long-term care by commenting below. We will pass on your messages to long-term care staff to share with their residents affected by MS.

"What do you see here? Maybe you see a guy who is working out with no shirt, trying to boost his 'likes' on social media. Or maybe you see a guy who is trying t...o get a new picture for his dating profile. But what I see is a guy who works out without his shirt because he has severe heat intolerance and it’s the best way to control his body from overheating. What I see is a guy who wears ankle braces when he works out because his ankles get too tired and weak to stabilize him. What I see is a guy whose left leg is so tired that he can’t hold it straight. What I see is a guy that no matter what life throws his way, will never give up. Remember, we all go through battles that no one else knows about." - Donavon, diagnosed with MS in 2016 Jennifer Lewans Photography

In the 70s, Canadian workers gained access to 15 weeks of paid leave under the newly-created Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefit. Fifty years later, the ...benefit remains virtually unchanged. The EI sickness benefit allows Canadians who are impacted by a personal health issue to adjust their work status and access financial support while focusing on their medical needs. Once an employee has worked 600 hours in the previous year, they are eligible to access the sickness benefit, which dispenses 55 per cent of insured wages for a maximum of 15 weeks. Once the 15 weeks are up, an employee must requalify by logging another 600 hours of work. As it stands, 15 weeks is too short a time-frame for many people with chronic conditions like MS to adequately recover given existing coverage gaps, and overall, Canada’s EI sickness benefit lags behind supports found in other countries. The #TakeActionForMS campaign is calling on the federal government to extend the EI sickness benefit to at least 26 weeks. We’re advocating for crucial changes to help ensure people who live with MS and want to continue working are able to do so. Take five minutes to email your Member of Parliament asking them to #TakeActionForMS today. Join the campaign: https://bit.ly/38Oj6nV.