The light columns in Coquitlam and Port Moody’s city hall will be lit tonight, May 30, in recognition of World MS Day.
And the member of parliament for the two cities, as well as the villages of Anmore and Belcarra, is giving thanks for the recognition.
MP Bonita Zarrillo, the NDP’s critic for disability and inclusion, said Canada has one of the highest rates in the world for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Globally, someone is diagnosed with the disease every five minutes, according to worldmsday.org, and currently there are more than 2.8 million people living with MS — three-quarters of them women.
A potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord, MS has no cure; however, there are treatments to help speed the recovery from an attack, as well as to change the course of the disease and to manage symptoms.
“MS is a devastating and debilitating disease that affects people across the country, particularly women,” Zarrillo said in a news release.
“Earlier this month, I met with MS Canada and heard about what this disease costs people, and the research efforts being done to end MS.”
Zarrillo noted that MS patients spend about $42,880 a year to manage their illness, and she called on the federal government for support.
“This disease is an episodic disability that affects 90,000 Canadians, with women making up three out of four diagnosed. But after years of Liberal and Conservative governments cuts to health care, local hospitals and medical research are struggling."
