Mr. Speaker, in a few days it will be Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. There are 100,000 Canadians living with this crippling disease known as MS and there still is no cure.
It has been almost a year now since my dear friend Ted Marianix died after living with MS. He was only 70 years old. He was a police officer for almost 40 years, and a minor hockey coach. However, Ted never let MS stop him from living a full life, even though he needed a scooter to get around.
When I campaigned for civic politics in Edmonton, Ted was my most frequent volunteer. When I ran for federal politics, Ted was always there. He was like a father who taught me a valuable lesson: anything is possible with hard work.
Many of us were deeply saddened when MS got the better of Ted. He died on June 13. His wife Louise is still grieving.
Therefore, when we mark MS Awareness Month in May, let us remember Ted and join #TeamFight to #endMS.