Connections - Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

Manitoba Division
Connections
INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH MS
Let’s Walk!
Team Pharmacy gets ready for 2010 p2
Publications Agreement No. 40050236
Return undeliverables to:
MS Society of Canada, Manitoba Division
100 - 1465 Buffalo Place
Winnipeg, MB R3T 1L8
In this issue
spring 2010
volume 18, no. 1
News from the MS Clinic 4
HCP conference 4
Primary caregiver tax credit 5
Government relations 6
Manitoba Lotteries MS Walk 9
Be a part of TeamMS 10

MS Connections spring 2010
Team Pharmacy furthers
their education at the 2010
Manitoba Lotteries MS Walk
In 2009, University of Manitoba Faculty of
Pharmacy instructor Kristine Petrasko
thought she would invite some of her
students to join her in the Manitoba
Lotteries MS Walk in Winnipeg. The result
was the largest Walk Team in Manitoba
with 78 members and the third largest
fundraising Team, raising $15,174.
Petrasko had been a participant in the
Walk for several years and then had an
idea.
“This was my second year teaching last
year and I thought why not invite a couple
of students to join,” she recalls. “I first
actually invited my second-year class and
then they thought let’s invite the firstyears
and third-years and it just got huge.
We ended up with 78 people. We actually
only started last year in February, so we
did the majority of our fundraising through
March and April, believe it or not. In 10
days, at one point, we had raised $4,000
last year, so the students really pushed
hard.”
Petrasko explained to them this was an
opportunity to become engaged with the
community.
“I thought as a profession, as a
professional faculty, the students would
have an opportunity to get involved with
their community, learn what MS is. Once
they did find out, who these patients were,
that they’d be dealing with them in
practice, I thought this was a good way to
get engaged and to assist them.”
Second-year Team Captain Ashley Graham
has come away from her Walk involvement
2
with new insight into MS and the MS Society.
“I think for me I definitely learned more
about the MS Society and what it does for
patients and also I had no idea before
where the money goes that we raise, what
specifically the money is for. I learned a lot
about that and now I understand more
about what the patients live with and how
it affects their lives. Maybe not specifics
about the disease itself and how it works,
but definitely how it affects patients and
their day to day lives and how we as
future healthcare professionals can play a
role in making their quality of life better.”
Graham also found, as did many students,
that they or their classmates had a direct
connection to MS and the Walk has become
more personal for them, as was the case for
First-year Team Captain Christa Derochers.
“I had a personal connection with MS so I
did have an idea of things going into it,’
says Derochers. “My aunt suffers from MS
so I had been informed through that. I was
really shocked at the amount of people in
Manitoba and in Canada that suffer from
MS and that was something that really
brought to my attention the need for us to
get involved.”

Once engaged with the Manitoba Lotteries
MS Walk, the students found it surprisingly
easy to raise funds for their new cause.
“I wasn’t sure going into it how people
would respond,” remarks Derochers. “I
started out thinking maybe I’ll put my total
on the lower side and see what I can do. I
put a goal of $250 to raise personally. I’ve
almost succeeded at that already so I think
I need to bump up my total to $500. It’s
amazing how people respond. You can put
a little message about why you’re
fundraising and you can link it to your
Facebook page with a photo and then it’s
just an easy link for your friends to come
in and make a donation. You’d be surprised
at how many people have relatives, friends
that have MS and they will come in and
make a donation. I was amazed at how
giving people are in that respect. You’re
asking for someone to help people in need
and I didn’t have trouble doing that.”
The team has also coordinated its
fundraising efforts on campus, at Health
Sciences Centre where they also study, and
among other heath care students,
challenging them to join the Walk and
compete with teams from their faculties.
They’ve also been utilizing the Online
Fundraising System to augment their totals.
“The online fundraising has been
exceptionally easy to use,” says Petrasko.
“It’s been fantastic. I find it’s a lot easier
than chasing people down in person and I
actually used the Facebook connection that
Christa was mentioning as well. I just put up
my daughter’s picture, mentioned that she’s
stretching and all of a sudden people start
donating. Sometimes you don’t have to ask
directly, ‘Will you donate money?’ You’re just
letting people know what you’re doing.”
Team Pharmacy is looking to further their
top fundraiser status and to come in with
an even bigger team.
MS Connections spring 2010
“Our main goal this year is to raise
$16,000,” says Petrasko. “That’s to beat
last year’s goal. We’re ahead of the game
online so I’m feeling good about the
fundraising. My goal is to have 100%
involvement. That would be great to have
the entire faculty of students. We have 200
students, but the difficulty right now with
the fourth-year students is a lot of them
are on rotation or out of town at that time,
so even if I was to get the first, second
and third-years, roughly 100 students
minimum, that would be my goal.”
“We’re definitely hoping to get our
numbers up more, especially from our
classmates,” continues Graham. “We can
go online and look at how many and which
of our classmates have signed up. We
continue to push our classmates to get
involved. We’ll definitely keep reminding
them and making sure we get our
numbers up as much as possible.”
Regardless of their numbers, Team
Pharmacy is definitely excited about their
second year at the Manitoba Lotteries MS
Walk in Winnipeg.
“To get to do something where you’re
making a difference as a group is going to
be great,” says Derochers. “To meet the
community as individuals who are afflicted
and being able to share the Walk with them
and to show the support that we have for
these people, I’m very excited about that.”
“For me, I know I’m helping people is the
number one reason, but the part that I
didn’t really foresee was the huge
connection I built with the students,” says
Petrasko. “It was so worthwhile and that’s
why I’m doing it again.”
See p9 for more Manitoba Lotteries MS
Walk information.
3

MS Connections spring 2010
From the MS Clinic
Study: The rising
frequency of multiple
sclerosis in Manitoba
4
Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie,
Director of the MS
Clinic in Winnipeg, is
part of a research
study looking at the
prevalence of MS in
Manitoba. Below is a
synopsis of the
findings so far.
The burden of MS in
Canada is thought to
be high compared to other areas in the
world. In 1960, Westlund and Kurland
reported that 35 out of every 100,000
people living in Winnipeg had MS. Several
studies suggest an increasing number of
people in Canada have MS. The frequency
of MS in Manitoba has not been studied in
detail for many years.
We used anonymized information from
Manitoba Health to look at the frequency
of multiple sclerosis in Manitoba and how it
is changing over time. 1 What has been
found is the number of persons with MS in
Manitoba has increased steadily. In 1984,
only 32 out of every 100,000 Manitobans
had MS. In 2006, about 227 out of every
100,000 Manitobans had MS. That is,
slightly more than 1 in 500 people or
2,700 Manitobans are living with MS.
Although the number of people with MS in
Manitoba increased, the number of newly
diagnosed people with MS per year did
not. Between 1998 and 2006, an average
of 11 out of every 100,000 Manitobans
was diagnosed with MS each year. This
means that about 135 people are
diagnosed annually with MS throughout
the province. Since the number of people
diagnosed with MS each year is not
increasing, an increase in the total number
of people with MS suggests that people
with MS are living longer than before. This
needs more study.
Many people from across the province
helped us with this study by filling out
questionnaires. We would like to express
our sincere appreciation for their
participation. We could not do this
research without you.
1. Marrie RA, Yu N, Blanchard JF, Leung S,
Elliott L. The rising prevalence and
changing age distribution of multiple
sclerosis in Manitoba. Neurology
2010;74:465-471.
MS Society to Host Health
Care Professionals and
Members Conference
Manitoba Division is pleased to announce
the 4th biennial conference developed for
health care professionals involved in the
care of people with MS, and for people
affected by MS.
Scheduled for October 18, 2010 at the
Caboto Centre, this unique interprofessional
conference will delve into
many important areas about MS. Leading
experts from across North America will be
presenting on research, treatments,
symptoms and symptom management of
MS. Whether you are a health care
professional or a person living with MS,
you are sure to gain new insights into the
challenges of life with MS and improved
ways to cope with/treat persons with MS.

Be sure to pencil this date on your
calendar! More information about the
conference will be presented in the next
MS Connections newsletter.
Primary Caregiver Tax
Credit
What it is
In 2009, a new tax credit was established
by the Province of Manitoba to provide
financial assistance to individuals who act
as primary caregivers for an individual
resident in Manitoba.
How to get it
Manitobans who act as the primary
caregiver for family members, spouses,
neighbors, friends or others who require
assistance to remain in their home may be
eligible for this refundable credit. To be
eligible for this tax credit, you must be
identified as the primary caregiver by the
person receiving the care, you must not be
paid to provide the care, and the individual
receiving care must be assessed as Level 2
or higher under the Manitoba Home Care
Guidelines. The person receiving care must
live in a private home or apartment in
Manitoba and require Level of Care 2, 3, or
4. People in group homes, hospitals,
Personal Care Homes or other licensed
residential care facilities do not qualify. If
the person who is receiving the care is an
adult, who is not an existing home care
client, the individual’s health care needs
must be assessed by a health care
professional in order to determine the level
of care required.
The tax credit application must be filled
out jointly by both the caregiver and the
person receiving care (or their parent if
MS Connections spring 2010
the person receiving care is under age 18)
and then forwarded to the regional health
authority or Family Services and Housing.
Once your application is processed, to
claim this credit on your personal tax
return, box 6125 of form MB479 of your
personal tax return, should be completed.
What it’s worth
The full amount of the credit is $1,020 per
person needing care. To be eligible for the
full credit, a three-month qualifying period
must be observed. As such, to receive the
entire $1,020 tax credit, you must have
commenced care on October 1, 2008 or
earlier, and this care must have continued
through the end of 2009. Caregivers are
eligible for $1,020 per person for up to
three people to whom they are providing
care. If care began during 2009, a partial
claim will be allowed, subject to the threemonth
qualifying period. This credit is first
used to reduce your income tax, If you
owe little or no income tax, the
Government of Manitoba refunds the
benefit to you through the income tax
system.
Manitobans who are the primary caregivers
for family members or other loved ones
are eligible for a $1,020 tax credit.
For more information about the credit or to
print an application, please visit
www.gov.mb.ca/finance/tao/caregiver.html
or call Manitoba Health and Healthy Living
at 204-788-6646.
For information on claiming this tax credit
through the income tax system, contact
the Manitoba Tax Assistance Office at 204-
948-2115 or toll-free at 1-800-782-0771
or via e-mail at TAO@gov.mb.ca
5

MS Connections spring 2010
Government and
Community Relations
Provincial Relations
The Manitoba Division is pleased that the
newly appointed Minister Responsible for
Persons with Disabilities, Jennifer Howard,
responded favourably to our request for a
meeting on January 21 to discuss
particular issues faced by Manitobans living
with MS. Minister Howard met with MS
Society staff on January 21 to discuss the
consideration of the inclusion of Tysabri
onto the Manitoba Drug Benefits Formulary
and access to treatment from outside the
city centre. The one hour meeting with the
Minister and her advisors was very
informative and highly productive.
From left to right: Darell Hominuk, Ellen Karr, the
Honourable Jennifer Howard and Wendy O’Malley
Age Appropriate Housing
Alliance
A housing proposal for an age appropriate
facility to meet the needs of adults aged
18-65 with complex health needs that
include both physical and cognitive
disabilities was presented to the NDP
Caucus on February 1, 2010. This proposal
was developed by a partnership of the MS
6
Society of Canada, the Huntington Society
of Canada, Muscular Dystrophy Canada,
the Parkinson Society Manitoba and the
Manitoba Brain Injury Association.
Affordable, accessible accommodation with
the capacity of providing a range of
physical, cognitive, social, managerial and
supervisory supports and services tailored
to the individual’s needs is being
recommended. A number of MLAs showed
interest in the proposal and offered
suggestions
The committee is continuing to work on
this proposal and will be involving
additional stakeholders to the group as
needed.
Community Respite
Service Apartment
Community Respite Service has a fully
furnished, two-bedroom wheelchair
accessible apartment available for use on
St. Mary Avenue in Winnipeg. The respite
apartment offers individuals with a
disability and their families a place to stay
in a comfortable, home-like setting. People
living both inside and outside of Winnipeg
can rent the apartment for a day, a night
or even a week. The apartment is
equipped with two hoyer lifts, a hospital
bed, three twin beds, a manual wheelchair,
a commode and a bath chair. Other living
amenities are also available. The complex
has an outdoor pool, sauna and racquetball
court as well. Linens, cleaning supplies and
basic kitchen items are provided.
For additional information or to book the
apartment, call 204-953-2404 or email
comresp1@mts.net

Book Review
Fighting Fatigue in Multiple
Sclerosis: Practical Ways
to Create New Habits and
Increase Your Energy
By Nancy A. Lowenstein, OTR
This practical little
book (163 pages)
has good size print
and is written in a
simple workbook
format. It is filled
with charts and
forms to help you
analyze your fatigue
and related daily
habits and routines.
There are chapters
on rejuvenating
yourself,
incorporating exercise into your daily life,
task simplification and how to make
changes stick. If you are one of the many
people living with MS who struggle with
fatigue, you will likely be able to pull some
good tips out of this book.
If you need any of the worksheets copied
from this book so you can make practical
use of the exercises, please contact your
Client Services staff member for
assistance.
This book is available in the library at the
MS Society of Canada, Manitoba Division
office at 100-1465 Buffalo Place.
MS Connections spring 2010
Free DVD
Timmy’s Journey to
Understanding MS (2004)
Developed by the Allegheny District
Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society
This 15 minute
animated cartoon
is an entertaining
and educational
story about a little
boy trying to
understand his
father’s diagnosis
of multiple
sclerosis. When
Timmy’s father
feels too fatigued
to play ball, Timmy
becomes upset and
stomps to his room. A superhero by the
name of Captain Kip S’myelin appears and
helps Timmy to understand MS by taking
him on a voyage through his father’s body
using a miniaturized space ship.
Developed for children ages 5-12, but
appropriate for all ages, this cartoon is an
excellent resource for parents who are
talking with their children about living with
MS. If you would like to order this DVD,
give us a call and we will mail one to you
at no charge! Supply is limited, so call Jan
Hosking at 943-9595 or toll-free at
1-800-268-7582. You can also borrow
the DVD from our MS Library.
7

MS Connections spring 2010
MS Society Self-help & Support Groups
Winnipeg
These programs are designed to meet the needs for support and information for people with MS,
family members, and others. All sessions are held at 1465 Buffalo Place unless otherwise
specified.
MS FRIENDS 2nd Thursday of each month, 1-3 pm
CHuMS 3rd Thursday of each month, 1-3 pm
MALE CAREGIVERS 1st Wednesday of each month, 7-9 pm
FEMALE CAREGIVERS 1st Thursday of each month, 6:30-8:30 pm at various locations
ON OUR OWN 1st Friday of each month, 1-3 pm
MOVING FORWARD 1st Thursday of each month, 1-3 pm
KILDONAN GROUP 2nd Monday of each month, 1-3 pm at Kildonan Personal Care
Centre, 1970 Henderson Hwy.
For information or to attend one of these self-help groups call Ellen Karr at 988-0917.
PRIMARY-PROGRESSIVE MS SUPPORT GROUP 4th Thursday of each month, 1-3 pm
SECONDARY-PROGRESSIVE MS SUPPORT GROUP 2nd Friday of each month, 1-3 pm
NEWLY DIAGNOSED GROUP
This is a program of education and support for those recently diagnosed with MS. It consists of
four modules and two videos aimed at giving individuals facts about MS and tools for everyday life.
For information call your local client services staff or toll free 1-800-268-7582.
South East, South Central Chapters and areas outside Winnipeg
TEULON SUPPORT GROUP 2nd Friday of each month, 11:30-1:30
LAC DU BONNET SUPPORT GROUP 4 times /year, Thursdays 11:30-1:30
SELKIRK SELF-HELP GROUP 3 times/year, Mondays 7:00-8:30
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE SELF-HELP GROUP 4th Monday of each month, 7:00-8:30
MORDEN SUPPORT GROUP 2nd Tuesday of each month, 12:30-2:00
STEINBACH SELF-HELP GROUP 2nd Tuesday of each month, 6:00-7:00
For information on these groups call Nadine Konyk at 471-0402.
Westman Chapter
DELORAINE/HARTNEY SELF-HELP GROUP last Tuesday of each month, 1-3 pm
BRANDON OUT & ABOUT SUPPORT GROUP 3rd or 4th Wednesday of each month, 6-8 pm
For information on these groups call Cindy Stumme at (204) 571-5671 or 1-800-268-7582.
Parkland Chapter
For groups in this area call Robin Searle at (204) 622-2940 or 1-800-268-7582.
8

Fundraising Events
Experience the Manitoba
Lotteries MS Walk
It’s time to lace up your Walking shoes and
hit the pavement for another great
Manitoba Lotteries MS Walk. There are
nine Walk locations across the province,
offering more than just a walk in the park.
Take advantage of the fun activities and
entertainment offered at the Manitoba
Lotteries MS Walk and enjoy the entire
Walk experience. There is sure to be
something everyone in your family will love
to do - even your pets.
By signing up with your family and friends,
you form a team and become part of Team
MS! Walk together, get some exercise and
make a difference in the lives of those
affected by multiple sclerosis. It’s fun and
rewarding to be a part of Team MS.
Arrive early with your team and take in
some of the Walk day festivities, like live
music on the main stage and around the
site, games in the Family Fun Zone, and
red hair streaking in the Streak for MS
tent. Don’t forget about the family pet!
Bring your dog along, and make stop at
the Pet Zone for a doggie treat.
MS Connections spring 2010
Once you start Walking, show your team
spirit by shouting team cheers and chants
along the route, wearing costumes,
bringing along noise makers, and having
fun together while showing your dedication
to ending MS.
If walking is not your thing, sign up to
volunteer. Volunteers are an integral part
of the Manitoba Lotteries MS Walk. Even
better, volunteers can register as part of a
team, collect fundraising pledges and join
in the fun of the Manitoba Lotteries MS
Walk day activities.
Register today using the Online
Fundraising System (OFS). It’s fun and
easy to use. Just visit www.mswalks.ca.
You’ll be able register for one of the nine
Walks listed below. Once you’ve registered
it’s time to start fundraising. You can
customize your fundraising page with a
personal story and photo. From there, your
family and friends can pledge you online
with the simple click of a mouse.
Manitoba Lotteries MS Walk – Dates and
Locations:
April 18 Morden, Steinbach
April 25 Lac Du Bonnet, Portage La
Prairie, Westman, Winnipeg
May 16 Flin Flon, The Pas
May 30 Parkland Eco Challenge
Don’t hesitate! Grab your family and
friends, and participate in the Manitoba
Lotteries MS Walk. Whether you’re Walking
the route or volunteering, you’ll be helping
us get one giant step closer to ending MS!
9

MS Connections spring 2010
Volunteer!
Looking for an opportunity to be involved
with the Manitoba Lotteries MS Walk on
Sunday, April 25th? We would love to have
you as a volunteer! Volunteers get the
opportunity to show their support and
spend the day at a fun event. Even better,
volunteers can join a team and fundraise
just like all Walk participants can. This
way, your whole family or group of friends
can form a team made up of both Walkers
and volunteers. Together, you can make
your step the one that ends MS.
We require volunteers for advanced checkin,
site set-up and take-down, check-in,
food service, rest stops, route marshalling,
Streak for MS, finish line cheering, pet
sitting, and pre-event activities.
Our volunteers help make the Walk a huge
success. Sign up today by emailing our
Volunteer Coordinator, Brandy Schmidt,
at brandy.schmidt@mssociety.ca or
calling her at (204) 988-0919.
10
Get more from your event:
be a part of TeamMS
TeamMS is a
complimentary
program to the
Manitoba Lotteries MS
Walks and RONA MS
Bike Tours, where
individuals can form
their own team or join a current team and
walk/bike or simply fundraise together to
end MS.
People do not have to participate in the
Walks and Bike Tours to form a team.
Many people living with MS form teams
and fundraise for the event, without
actually participating in the event. All the
events are wheelchair accessible and
cheering sections are available for those
who are unable to participate.
Team Mass Synergy has a photo moment before
starting the Winnipeg Manitoba Lotteries MS Walk
Make a difference, be part of the MS
Community
Teaming-up is a great opportunity for
people living with MS to raise money and
make a difference in the fight to end MS.

These people will also feel part of the
enormous MS community here in Manitoba.
Every year close to 400 MS Walk and 200
MS Bike Tour teams participate in
fundraising events here in Manitoba. It is
statistically proven teams raise more
money, have more fun, and return to
participate more often, than those who
participate alone.
How to Team Up
By teaming-up with TeamMS you will
directly inspire and share your success with
others. And you only need four people to
create a new team. To form your own team:
• Pick a team captain and a team name
• An event you would like to support
• Register at www.teamms.ca
Or, if you would like to join one of our
current teams, please contact the TeamMS
Coordinator at 988-0913.
Benefits to Teaming Up
• Fundraising and recruiting support from
your local TeamMS representative.
• Invites to fun events like Kick-offs, Pub
Nights, Streaking for MS, and team
fundraising events.
• Online tools allowing you to invite people
to join your team and send everyone on
your team messages at the touch of a
button make communication easy.
• Downloadable and printable pledge forms,
team captain handbook and other helpful
resources are just a click away.
• A personalized team website where
people can pledge the team online.
• Team Captain VIP treatment the day of
the event.
Take the TeamMS challenge. For more
information and helpful fundraising tips
visit www.teamms.ca.
MS Connections spring 2010
11

MS Connections spring 2010
Manitoba Division
Client Services Staff
Client Services is made up of staff and
volunteers providing a wealth of
knowledge, experience and
commitment. Staff members provide
services directly and assist volunteers in
helping people with MS to help
themselves. You can reach them via the
MS Society’s toll-free line:
1-800-268-7582 or directly at the
numbers below:
Darell Hominuk, Director of Client
Services
(204) 988-0907
Nadine Konyk, Rural Client Services
Coordinator, South Central Chapter -
Morden/Portage, South East Chapter -
Steinbach
(204) 471-0402
Cindy Stumme, Client Services Manager,
Westman Chapter
(204) 571-5671
Robin Searle, Client Services Manager,
Parkland Chapter
(204) 622-2940
Deanna Austin, Social and Recreation
Program Coordinator, Winnipeg
(204) 988-0905
Ellen Karr, Client Services Coordinator,
Winnipeg
(204) 988-0917
Contributors:
Thank you to the following people for their
contributions to this issue:
Deanna Austin, Chad Falk, Darell Hominuk,
Shauna Jurczak, Ellen Karr, Stephen Kennedy,
Brandy Schmidt, Robin Searle,
Shelly Smith-Hines, Jani Sorensen,
Cindy Stumme
MS Connections is published
three times per year by the
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada,
Manitoba Division
100-1465 Buffalo Place
Winnipeg, MB R3T 1L8
(204) 943-9595 or
1-800-268-7582
Fax: (204) 988-0915
info.manitoba@mssociety.ca
www.mssociety.ca
Disclaimer: The Manitoba Division of
the MS Society is proud to be a source of
information about multiple sclerosis. The
content in MS Connections does not
represent therapeutic recommendation or
prescription. For specific information and
advice, please consult your physician.
Articles in this newsletter do not
necessarily represent the position of the
Multiple Sclerosis Society but are solely
representative of the positions and opinions
of the contributors.