Mark Windsor (left) and Zita Kavanagh Taylor first teamed up eight years ago for Paws for MS, a charity walk for multiple sclerosis research. (Henrique Wilhelm/CBC)
Chronic physical illness is often accompanied by mental health problems. That’s exactly what Zita Kavanagh Taylor wanted to emphasize at Saturday’s Four Legs fundraiser.
Kavanagh-Taylor, who lives with multiple sclerosis, created Paws for her MS eight years ago. This is his annual four kilometer dog walk on Mount Pearl to raise money for multiple sclerosis research.
“When you get multiple sclerosis, your whole life changes, it takes you a different route, a different journey,” she says.
“People with multiple sclerosis all have the same symptoms, but they don’t all live the same lives.”
“Paws for MS” is an opportunity for the community to come together and learn about the disease, she said.
Approximately 90,000 people live with MS in Canada, making it one of the highest prevalence rates in the world. Autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system are often progressive and affect the brain, spine, and eyes, causing changes in vision, problems with mobility and balance, and problems with cognition and memory.
For Kavanagh-Taylor, the diagnosis in 2010 meant she had to relearn how to walk.
“When you get out of bed in the morning, can you put your feet on the floor, or can you open your eyes and see normal vision, not double vision? “You’ll see what you’re getting ‘day,'” she said.
For some people, these symptoms can have a negative impact on their mental health. That’s why Kavanagh-Taylor chose it as the focus of her walk this year, she said, because the connection between animals and mental health seemed natural.
“You’re depressed, but your dog is always there for you. He understands that,” Kavanagh-Taylor said. “And you always had to take them for a walk so you get up and go.”
She decided to donate this year’s proceeds to the Canadian Mental Health Association’s provincial branch to use for education and programming.
East Regional Manager John Ding said the association receives calls every week from people with physical illnesses seeking mental health resources.
To him, the relationship between the two is not new, nor is the positive impact animals have on human well-being.
“Awareness is probably one of the very first things people can benefit from: being aware of how their physical condition can impact their mental health,” Dinh says. he said.
“We’re raising a lot of awareness about the relationship between your mental health and your physical health. And more importantly, we’re providing a lot of different strategies, tips, coping methods, self-help methods, and how to It’s about letting people know if there are resources like this out there in the community. ”
John Ding is the Eastern Region Manager for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s provincial branch in St. John’s. Ding said physical illness can have a huge impact on people’s mental health. (Henrique Wilhelm/CBC)
Kavanagh-Taylor found community on her annual walk. Critters and Things, a pet store in Mount Pearl, has been hosting the event since the beginning, and it was a natural fit for owner Mark Windsor.
“That’s all I was about,” he said. “Being able to give back means so much. That’s what it’s all about. Sometimes you have to give back, but there’s nothing better than giving back by doing what you enjoy the most. do not have.”
Windsor and Kavanagh-Taylor hope to work together to continue to give back and encourage conversations about life with chronic illness, with hopes of growing each year.
“This was just a little dream walk for me, and I thought it might last a year or two,” Kavanagh-Taylor said.
“This is a dream come true for me.”
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