Sinclair takes a public stand against MS

Christine Sinclair has always done her talking on the soccer field, and the classy Canadian captain has done it quietly, without a fuss. She is not one to seek the public eye.

But now Sinclair plans to step forward and speak out. Sinclair, who turned 34 on Monday, is going to take an active role in the fight against multiple sclerosis.

“For me, it was the first time sort of stepping out of my comfort zone in terms of MS and the impact it’s had on my family,” she said.

Sinclair’s mother Sandi has MS. She lives in a care home in suburban Vancouver.

Sinclair said she has seen firsthand “the slow progression” of MS. Her mother is bound to a bed and a wheelchair.

MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system — the brain and spinal cord. The disease attacks myelin, the protective covering of the nerves. It causes inflammation and often damages the myelin, which is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses through nerve fibres.

The effects are wide-ranging and unpredictable: extreme fatigue, lack of co-ordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes.

The cause remains a mystery — the belief is lifestyle, environmental, genetic and biological factors all contribute. Currently, there is no cure.

Canada has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis in the world, according to the MS Society of Canada, with an estimated one in 340 Canadians living with the disease.

“It’s crazy,” Sinclair said. “Obviously anything I can do to help, to help find (the cause), help find a cure, I’m all in,” she added.

The society says women are three times more likely to develop MS than men. It’s the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in Canada, most often diagnosed in young adults aged 15 to 40.