Introduction

This project came out of an “aha” moment I had about five years ago. I had made it through some very difficult times in my life and people often asked me what my secret was. I wanted to make my story available to others because I believe shared stories allow us all to heal.

This first volume includes an essay about my journey of dealing with multiple sclerosis. It is about my mother’s story, as she also had MS. And it’s about my own story of MS from diagnosis to the present. It is about the depths of despair that such a diagnosis can create and it’s about the possibility that people can come out of dark places and realize the joy that can be found in life – in spite of, and because of, the challenges that health concerns can create. This story reinforces that without MS, I would not be the person I am today.

But I want to do more than just share my story of hope. My journey is only one such story of why and how we can move through in life in ways that require us to dig deep and find hope — somehow, somewhere. So, I have invited others to contribute their experiences to this project.  My vision is to add art, poetry, videos, graphic novels, or whatever form other stories need to take. In other words, I want this to be about so much more than my journey. My story is just the first step. I knew from the beginning that I wanted this resource to be free and open; therefore, the fact that publishing an open education resource achieved both goals was very important to me.

How To Use This Resource

As a learning resource, this volume and future volumes can be used in a variety of programs in different ways. In this volume, a variety of topics are covered, including (but not limited to) resilience, multiple sclerosis, symptoms and treatments of MS, dealing with depression, education, love of work, and the concept of hope.

The learning assessment included with the first essay in this volume is aligned with a course in the occupational therapy and physiotherapy assistants’ program at Conestoga College, but it is also relevant to other healthcare programs, such as nursing, paramedics, personal support worker, massage therapy, etc. Because this essay does not only discuss the medical struggles I have gone through, it could also be relevant to students in disability studies, psychology, sociology, social work, criminology, policing, and other related programs.

The learning assessment included with the second essay in this volume is aligned with courses in Conestoga College’s disability minor, such as PDV0218 Why Normal Sucks, in which students learn about various types of mental health issues and who gets to decide what is and is not “normal.”