50 K Run to Raise Awareness

Welcome, my name is Sheila. Please allow me to share a little about myself. I am a single mom who was raised by a single mom. I have two intelligent, beautiful, amazing, adult daughters. My kids and I have had struggles with mental health. My eldest daughter, Kisa, fought depression and self-harm tendencies from a young age and she was eventually diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder. My youngest daughter, Tayla, had difficulties with anxiety and at 13 had a brain hemorrhage and required an emergency life saving craniotomy. Afterwards, she needed rehabilitation therapy for a year and had the added challenge of depression. Throughout these struggles I had felt very alone and overwhelmed, my ability to cope was diminished and I too fell into deep depression for a number of years.

I am also a nurse and have had the amazing opportunity over recent years to work on the overdose crisis in communities in the lower mainland. The knowledge and experiences gained throughout this time have impacted me greatly. Learning about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they affect one’s health in adulthood, both physically and mentally, has given me a depth of understanding that translates to profound compassion for humanity and our struggles.

This past June when the BC Coroner released the number of overdose deaths for May I was overwhelmed with anger, sadness, compassion, frustration and more. I cried. I wanted to do something, I wanted to help. In the previous couple months I had witnessed individuals in my community campaign for causes that they personally felt passionate about, so I thought maybe I could do that too. So, in July with the support of my boyfriend who is an experienced runner, I started training. I set the goal to run a distance that would require commitment, training, and determination. The longest I had ever run before this was 21 K in 2013, when I ran a local half-marathon race. I really wanted to challenge myself to do something hard. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it because I’ve had some health issues in recent years, but I wanted to try! Now here we are less the two weeks from reaching my goal! I am asking for support in sharing my campaign to raise awareness and to support the fight against stigma of mental health, substance use, and the overdose crisis.

On October 10th, World Mental Health Day, I am going to run from downtown Langley, through Surrey, New West, and Burnaby to finish a 50 K ultra-marathon distance in Vancouver on the downtown eastside.

Please take the time to donate, spread the word, be active, as well as show care and respect for others. We can all make a difference in another persons day just by being kind. October 10th is World Mental Health Day!

Find me on Instagram @livingthishumanlife 

All funds raised are being donated to the nonprofit organization BCCDC Foundation for Public Health, reducing harms priority. https://bccdcfoundation.org/activate-health-to-eliminate-stigma/