Article content continued

“You look at this bike, it’s normal. You look at me, I’m normal. You sit on the bike, it’s not normal. Inside me … I have MS and I live with it on a daily basis.”

Deakin–Harb’s husband, Phil David, made it only a few metres when he tried to demonstrate how the bike works. A few wobbly lurches forward ended with the rear tire buckling and David abandoning the endeavour.

Spokesperson Patrycia Rzechowka said that for her and others, MS is an every day battle.

“Unfortunately, with MS you don’t have a choice,” she said. “With a bike, you can get off.”

One of the ways the disease manifests for Rzechowka is severe fatigue.

“You know how the (Incredible) Hulk is always angry? I’m just always tired,” she said. “And I just make that choice to fight through it and go on with my day.”

MS is a disease that attacks myelin, the protective covering of nerves. Its symptoms are varied and include extreme fatigue, coordination difficulties, impaired sensation and cognitive impairment.

There is no known cure, but treatments are available.

According to the MS Society of Canada, Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, with an estimated 100,000 people living with the disease.