Mr. Speaker, today is the last day of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.
An estimated 50,000 Canadians suffer from MS. It is the most common disease of the central nervous system affecting young adults in their prime. Twice as many women as men suffer from MS. It is usually progressive and leads to numbness, loss of balance, tremors and even paralysis.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada was founded in 1948 to help those affected by the disease. Today it has a Canada-wide membership of approximately 26,000. The society promotes and supports MS research and services for people with MS as well as their families. This is accomplished through charitable donations to the society and fund raising events such as the Carnation Campaign which took place this past month.
I wish to congratulate the volunteers and staff of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada for a successful month and to encourage all Canadians to lend support to Multiple Sclerosis Month and to the Carnation Campaign.