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Watch above: Kurstin Bulas and Taylor Pfeifer are running in the Disney Half Marathon to raise money for the Neural Health Project

SASKATOON – When Kurstin Bulas and Taylor Pfeifer met with Dr. Dee Dee Maltman, they knew they had tapped into something special.

Bulas, who is running the Disney Half Marathon in 2015 with Pfeifer, wanted to raise money and donate the proceeds to something that would bring awareness to mental illness.

Her twin sister, who passed away in a highway car crash earlier this year, suffered from major depressive disorder.

“It was really emotional meeting Dee Dee, and I actually cried in her office,” said Bulas.

“She’s working on something so amazing and I know that Kyley would have benefited from it. It’s going to help so many people.” Tweet This

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Bulas is referring to the Neural Health Project, an ambitious initiative founded by Maltman, along with local hockey legend Mike Babcock and other medical experts in the field of integrative medicine.

Maltman, medical director for the Centre of Integrative Medicine at the University of Saskatcnewan, believes this project will be the first of its kind in Canada.

“We’ve been working away on this Neural Health Project for the past ten months,” said Maltman. “After the tragedies of last summer, the deaths of Ian Buckwold and Jordan Chartier, Mike called me and said ‘Dee Dee, what are we going to do for mental health?’”

Watch below: Dr. Dee Dee Maltman explains the Neural Health Project

The Neural Health project was born. The plan is to bring together traditional methods with an integrative approach to tackle mental illness.

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“The outcomes of when you put together a mind body spirit program are so much more meaningful it is for the treatment, the patient, the family and for the budget of health care,” said Maltman.

In addition to the money raised from Bulas and Pfeifer’s run (their goal is $10,000), Maltman and Babcock are planning a fundraiser on Friday, July 24 next year that will bring big name celebrities and athletes to our city.

“It’s going to be star-studded and very big with people in the media and celebrities and athletes that readily speak about their journey with mental illness,” said Maltman.

Maltman is excited to have young people like Bulas and Pfeifer on board with the Neural Health Project during its beginning stage. Her ultimate goal would be a centre here in Saskatoon where patients could come for integrative treatments.

Bulas and Pfeifer can be supported in their goal to raise $10,000 for their run through Go Fund Me.

There is also a website for the Neural Health Project where people will be able to track the progress of the project and view details on upcoming fundraisers and talks.