About 200 people raised close to $30,000 to help fight multiple sclerosis at the Fraser Valley MS Walk held on Sunday, May 28, at Douglas Park in 91原创 City.

Organizers reported there was a last-minute surge in registration, up from less than a hundred just days before the event.

Aldergrove resident Taylor Markell arrived with a group of supporters, 鈥淭aylor鈥檚 Team.鈥�

We鈥檝e been coming for five years now, and this is my choir, the Common Sound Women鈥檚 choir,鈥� Markell explained.

鈥淲e sing in White Rock, but I鈥檓 from Aldergrove.鈥�

Markell said the walk was the first event that she 鈥渞eally took part in鈥� after she was diagnosed with MS.

鈥淚t was a really cool way to kind of see who is in the MS community, and what kind of is out there, and be involved,鈥� Markell told the 91原创 Advance Times.

In her on the MS Walk walk page, Markell said she鈥檚 鈥渓ost track of how many times I鈥檝e been poked with needles but I鈥檒l never forget all the great things that have happened to me 鈥揑鈥檝e married my best friend, graduated university, found a career I love, and so much more.鈥�

鈥淲hen life gives you chronic illness, let it change you, don鈥檛 let it stop you,鈥� she said.

Her team beat their goal of $150, raising $500.

Featured speaker Kathryn Ferguson, an Abbotsford resident, shared her story with the participants before the walk began.

Initially, Ferguson thought her symptoms were stress-related.

鈥淲ell, I was very wrong,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t started for me in the year 2016, which feels like a lifetime ago,鈥� she recalled.

鈥淚 had just turned 40. I was a very busy English teacher in the thick of fall startup. I was teaching about 200 students. I was working on my masters thesis. I had a long commute every day. I was participating in theatre and music.鈥�

鈥淪omething had to give and that鈥檚 something was my central nervous system,鈥� Ferguson described.

鈥淚 had what could best be described as electric shocks running through my body. I was dealing with numbness and tingling in my hands and my feet, fatigue like I鈥檇 never experienced it, and I was also struggling with some vision issues in my eye.鈥�

鈥滻 think that鈥檚 probably the most lost I鈥檝e ever felt in my life,鈥� she said.

It would take a year and many tests before she was finally diagnosed.

In her , Ferguson noted 鈥�11 Canadians are diagnosed with this unpredictable illness every day. We don鈥檛 know what causes MS, and we don鈥檛 have a cure. Yet.鈥�

Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, with an estimated 90,000 Canadians living with the disease.

As of Monday, May 29, donations to the .

Nationally, the MS Walk campaign had raised $3.5 million towards a $4 million target.

The MS Society provides information, support and advocacy to people affected by MS, and funds research to find the cause and cure for the disease.

Visit or call 1-800-268-7582 for more information.

More pictures of the walk can be viewed online at the .

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