This Sunday (Sept. 22) I'm proud to be participating in the third annual RBC Race for the Kids in support of the Alberta Children's Hospital. My family and I will be hitting the pathways around the Glenmore Reservoir with hundreds of others in a fun family run to support child and adolescent mental health initiatives. 

Mental health issues are the single largest health problem facing young people in Canada today, and 70% of them start in childhood. The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation is working with AHS to build a new Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health that will help young people and their families better identify and manage challenges before they escalate into crises that require hospitalization.

With both of my boys being diagnosed with PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus), mental health issues have significantly impacted our family. Because of this autoimmune disease, there were times when they were so debilitated by a multitude of symptoms (OCD, suicidal ideation, enuresis, mutism, rage, catatonia, etc.) they would battle to just get through their day, let alone go to school. Many children who have PANDAS/PANS go undiagnosed/misdiagnosed for far too long… and our boys fell through the medical cracks for years. Finding a knowledgeable doctor to recognize and treat PANDAS is one of the greatest challenges families face. But we found one, and it was a huge relief. Our family's journey started over 6 years ago, but through accessing a local PANDAS specialist for diagnosis and treatment at the Alberta Children's Hospital, we now have HOPE FOR RECOVERY! 

I’m hoping you will support my fundraising efforts by making a small donation! 

Thank you in advance for your gift to support mental health for our kids. I will keep you updated on my progress, and if you're encouraged by my efforts and live in the Calgary area, you can register by midnight today (Wed) and join us!

Together, we can Build the Centre, and Build Them Up!

Marnie