Kate Ouellette-Cretsinger
K8 Does TABR Virtually
Fundraising for Myositis UK
Story
Did you ever cycle, run, swim or do any endurance sport to the point of absolute exhaustion? To the point where you couldn’t lift an arm or move a limb anymore, not to mention stand up? To the point where every muscle fibre in your body was aching? Then you had a glimpse into what it means to suffer from Myositis. But if you rest for a few days, you’ll feel better…
Carolina lived with Polymyositis for ten years. Seven of which she spent in a wheelchair, completely dependent on outside help. Still, she never lost her spirit, she was always smiling and thinking about the future, about how to help others and make the world a better place for everyone. She was always smiling, despite being in constant pain for ten years. She never complained or saw herself as a victim. And she didn’t ever want to be pitied. Her spirit was strong and she wouldn’t be brought down until the very end, still making plans for her future on her last day alive. And she never lost hope, no matter how many doctors told her there wasn’t anything that could be done for her anymore. She was a true inspiration and a role model for everyone who’s life she touched.
She knew and believed that with creativity, willingness and the right adaptive technologies, people with disabilities like hers could contribute and bring so much beauty and joy into the world and into their own lives, she wanted to change how people like her viewed themselves, making them understand they are differently-abled, but not dis-abled. Her motto was “redefine yourself”.
And with just that creativity, willingness and adaptive technology, we made her life so much more worth living than health- and care services thought it could be. Where most people in her situation would just be treated by a standard procedure by medical and care professionals, that doesn’t even remotely include all the special requirements of a person with Myositis, she had freedom, dignity and self determination, because we made it so.
My hope is that by raising awareness and funds for Myositis UK, more people will get the chance to be in that position. We take mundane things like being able to move on our own, take care of ourselves, walk, sleep and eat on our own terms for granted, unaware of how privileged we are, and worry about appearances and careers. My hope is to make healthy people aware of how lucky they are and how small many of their daily issues actually are, and to help more people affected by Myositis to these privileges of fundamental human rights and dignity.
Im looking to raise a dollar for every mile that I cycle for TABR in memory of Carolina .... My goal is $4,200.00