April 27, 2016
1922
McKenna Marsdin (above) is 13 years old and suffers from Crohn's Disease.
She attended her first Grey-Bruce Gutsy Walk in Walkerton last year and had a lot of fun, raising an incredible $2,544 with the help of her family and friends. Almost 70 participants raised close to $35,000 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation at last year's event.
McKenna is thrilled to be the honourary chairperson for this year's walk, slated for the Walkerton District Community School track, Sunday, June 5, at 10 a.m., with registration beginning at 9 a.m.
"There are so many people who are so very deserving," says McKenna. "There is a lot of excitement that comes along with this title. I'm looking forward to being able to raise awareness for Crohn's and Colitis, meeting new people, and being part of the hardworking committee for the Gutsy Walk." The bonus, of course, is having her photo taken and published in the local media.
McKenna was diagnosed with Crohn's in January, 2014.
"She became very ill in August of 2014," says her mother, Becky. "She began losing a lot of weight very quickly, was experiencing extreme stomach pain and nausea, and was constantly exhausted. As a mom, it is heartbreaking to see your child in so much pain and not be able to help her.
"We kept taking her to doctors and were told it was Irritable Bowel or food allergies, before we finally were sent to the Children's Hospital in London to see a pediatric gastroenterologist. After many tests, including an endoscope and colonoscopy, we received the diagnosis. As hard as it is to hear your child has a disease with no cure, we felt relief to finally have an answer."
McKenna has periods of good and bad.
"Most of last year was very good," says Becky. "Unfortunately, she has had a rough start to this year, and she has been very sick again, missing a significant amount of school."
But McKenna doesn't let her disease stop her from doing as much as she can and being involved in as many activities as possible. She is very athletic and loves sports, and the hardest part for her is not feeling well enough to participate in the things that she loves to do.
"Track-and-field is coming up and that's something she really loves," says Becky. "We are hoping she will be able to participate. She loves baseball and plays catcher with her team which is a group of friends that's always there to cheer her up and make her laugh. Some of the things she has missed out on are sleepovers, birthday parties and sports, and a lot of school."
McKenna is hoping to raise more than the $2,544 she and her supporters raised last year for the Gutsy Walk.
"We have a great team of family and friends, and we are feeling very confident," says Becky. "McKenna has been busy making crafts to sell at a school fund-raiser with the money going to the Gutsy Walk."
McKenna is in Grade 7 at Walkerton District Community School. She lives in Walkerton with her parents, Becky and Rick Marsdin, and her 15-year-old brother, Zach.
McKenna Marsdin (L), and her friends, Nyla Vanderwoude and Sadie Morrow, all of Walkerton, join the 2015 Grey-Bruce Gutsy Walk
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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