Supporters and sufferers gather for Multiple Sclerosis walk in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John community members gathered at Festival Plaza this weekend to walk in raising awareness about Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

On Sunday, May 24th, around 100 residents took part in a short walk around the 9600 block at 11 a.m., heading around Centennial Park before returning and enjoying a pizza lunch.

The walk was the second mass fundraising event on the weekend, after the annual MS Pub Night, which preceded it just one night prior, on Saturday, May 23rd at the Canadian Brewhouse.

Participants included Fort St. John councillors Jim Lequiere and Tony Zabinsky. Before the walk, Lequiere had some opening remarks.

“I think at one point or the other I know a lot of families and friends and neighbours and even co-workers have been touched by MS,” said Lequiere. “I’m glad to see everybody out here and doing as much support as we can.”

Sherri Mytopher, a local MS advocate who has suffered from the disease since 2013, was very positive about the support.

While final fundraising numbers were unknown, Mytopher told attendees the pub night raised close to $10,000.

“We are happy to have these people, [the] new people coming out to walk,” Mytopher told Energeticcity.ca. “There are probably more new faces to me.  I’m getting to meet people, and I think that’s the best part of it.”

“It is about raising awareness and bringing the MS community together and showing support,  people in the community showing support for people living with MS.”

One of those new faces was Wendy Schmidt. Originally from Terrace, Schmidt moved to Fort St. John in 2003.

A sufferer of MS since 1993, Schmidt now relies on the help of care aides for day-to-day life. She participated in the walk by using an electric scooter.

“I have an e-tricycle I get out on when the weather cooperates,” said Schmidt. “I try to get to the gym. One of my biggest struggles is with fatigue.  I feel good, and [when] I do anything, it just zaps all the energy I’ve got left. That’s been a real challenge trying to manage that.”

Another sufferer, Heidi Weedon, first felt tightness around her waist back in 2024, which then led to numbness down her leg.

Doctors initially told her to start an exercise regimen. It wasn’t until December of 2024 that she received her MS diagnosis.

“It was about two and a half months after my first symptom started [I was diagnosed]” said Weedon. “A lot of my days are actually really difficult. It really comes down to having the support around me that I need, taking my vitamins, drinking lots of water and doing exercises.”

A neurological disease, MS affects the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. 

The body’s immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibres, known as myelin. Damage to myelin can cause nerve fibre loss and eventual disease progression.

There is no known cure. MS Canada’s website says there are 90,000 sufferers of the disease nationwide.

The MS Walk in Fort St. John took place on Sunday, May 24th.