Engaging Young Leaders

Lacey Andreas (pictured here at the 2010 MS Walk) recently became a member of the MS Youth Advisory Group.

A New MS Youth Advisory Group Gives Young Members a Voice
By Nicole Mellin, Assistant Vice-President, National Client Services, MS Society of Canada

There is virtually no limit to what young people can do. We can all likely think of a situation or an event when a young person has made a profound positive impact on others. From making scientific discoveries to exposing social injustices, what young people can achieve is limited more by social and political convention than by capacity, energy and enthusiasm.

The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society of Canada is doing its part to engage young people across the nation whose lives are impacted by MS, by recruiting and convening a new MS Youth Advisory Group (YAG). The intent of the group is to bring the voice of young adults to the organization. Members, who are being recruited from coast-to-coast, will be representative of the unique and diverse backgrounds of youth and young adults impacted by MS.

Lacey Andreas, who is a member of the group, says, “When I was first asked to be a part of the MS Youth Advisory Group, I was ecstatic. [I thought], FINALLY, a place where young people diagnosed with MS can go. Members offer very different experiences with MS, and I hope to form a network so that anyone will feel comfortable approaching us for help, advice or just someone to talk to.”

As a young caregiver, 17-year-old Jenna Cooper offers a unique perspective to the group. She provides care to her mom, who has multiple sclerosis. She also helps out with her young brother. In addition, the hard-working teen volunteers with the local chapter of the MS Society of Canada and Young Carers Canada to develop programs and resources that support other youth in similar circumstances. She has been involved in a number of community events to raise money for programs and research to end MS. “I am proud to be part of a movement that acknowledges the contributions of children to their families and communities,” she says.

After her mother was diagnosed with MS when Jenna was 15, the teen began to feel socially isolated from friends and was under a great deal of stress and pressure at home due to the growing demands of caregiving. So, she reached out within her own community (southwestern Ontario) to become more informed about what her mother was going through and to create a greater sense of purpose by volunteering.

Growing research into the area of youth engagement indicates that there are significant benefits for youth who become actively involved in purposeful pursuits. New and innovative resources to support youth and young adults impacted by MS will be developed and piloted by the MS Society in the coming months and years, as part of the Society’s new MS youth strategy.

For more information, visit our website at www.mssociety.ca, and look for updates in future editions of the MS Canada newsletter.