Introducing: 
2012 Betty's Run for ALS Ambassador
Shelagh Mikulak

I am an independent and strong woman for whom being in control has always come naturally. I loved my job, my family and my friends. I kept healthy by walking and yoga. My life was good.

But then my foot began to drop and I couldnt walk more than a few blocks. In yoga class, my body refused to listen to me. What was going on? Several months and tests later the neurosurgeon diagnosed a compressed spinal cord and I had the vertebrae in my neck removed and fused. But I didnt get any better.

I depended on a walker, and my hands and arms couldnt lift or hold. There were muscle twitches. The neurologist confirmed ALS on November 25, 2010. I was devastated. A disease without treatment and a future much shortened. The thought of being locked in my body terrified me.

ALS doesnt strike with all its force in one blow. It takes its time to dismantle the body, which is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that you have the time to adapt to the loss and to learn to use new adaptive technologies. A curse in that you are constantly grieving the loss of part of who you were.

The grief doesnt stop. No longer defined by what I did law librarian, national director, employee, homemaker, volunteer administrator, organizer, driver, walker I struggled to figure out who I was if I could no longer do things. I came to realize that I was still Shelagh wife, daughter, mother, sister, cousin, niece and friend, and it was these relationships that defined who I am. I have also come to realize how truly adaptable I am! Cant lift a cup of coffee drink it with a straw; cant turn the page of a book use an ebook reader; cant swallow - get a feeding tube; cant walk use a lift and a wheelchair; cant breathe use a ventilator. I still do things, I just do them differently.

Another thing I do now is to ask for help. This was a huge challenge for me as I was Ms. Do-it-myself. Now I need help to take a bath, to put on make-up, to scratch an itch, to wipe a runny nose and to adjust a body part. I discovered that people dont mind being asked to help. In fact, they want to be asked; they want to help. ALS is a malevolent disease which takes away a persons body. But it also provides me with the opportunity to refocus on what really matters today, with the perspective to review the past and know that I have made a difference in the lives of others.

My family is closer, my friends are dearer, and those who support me and my family from the ALS Clinic and ALS Society of Alberta are literally lifesavers. It is impossible to overstate the critical role that the

Society plays in my life and that of my family. Bettys Run ensures they are able to continue on by raising much needed funds. It is also a fun and energizing day surrounded by family and friends - an opportunity to celebrate being alive and to remember loved ones taken by ALS. Please join me this year for Bettys Run for ALS!

 
2011 Shelagh's Green Team with Mayor Nenshi

Click here to donate to Shelagh's Green Team!

Patron for Betty's Run for ALS Patron
 Wendy Crewson

                                            

Wendy Crewson, Canadian actor and Gemini winner for her role as Sue Rodrigous in the movie At the end of the Day, joins us once again as Patron. Wendy first joined our Run in 1999 and continues to be supportive of our cause.


Bettys Run for ALS is pure inspiration. It is an
event firmly rooted in joy and loving support and
I am proud and honoured to be part of it.
Wendy Crewson, Patron of Bettys Run