WAYNE GIBSON of The Clarion

A Quebec woman cycling eastbound toward home stopped in Kindersley last
Wednesday to raise awareness about a condition that affects the physical
activity of many.

Josee Litalien, of Mirabel, Que., began her journey in Calgary on July 13 and plans to travel as far as Winnipeg by July 28 in support of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada. Spina bifida - the number one disabling birth defect in Canada, affecting one out of every 1,000 children - is a neural tube defect that results in the complete development of the nervous system and spinal cord.

Litalien will continue her cross-Canada journey over the next three summers, culminating in the Maritime provinces. She cycled from Vancouver Island to Calgary last year.
Litalien's first exposure to spina bifida came when her young cousin was diagnosed with a mild form of it. A friend of hers was also diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a related condition in which normal cerebrospinal fluid circulation patterns are interrupted.

The mother of three said her goal is to raise awareness and funds for the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada in hopes that a cure will be found someday. When you are a volunteer person, you have a mission in life and it is to help people, Litalien said Wednesday afternoon as she and her riding partner Frits Van Bergen, of the Netherlands, prepared for a day off in 30 degree heat.

Litalien and Van Bergen met up near Beiseker, Alberta just a few days earlier and agreed to ride the stretch of prairie roads together. Van Bergen, who will continue his journey solo east of Winnipeg, said he knew very little about spina bifida before meeting Litalien.
”That's why we do awareness. Publicity is great for the association” she said, having already made visits to other media outlets along the way. “It's better than doing nothing at all”. In addition, Litalien places daisies on the sides of her luggage as a symbolic nod to spina bifida. The heart of the flower represents the brain, the cloven petals represent the various lesions caused by spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and the flower's irregular leaf and stem represents the unusual form of the spinal cord and backbone of a person born with spina bifida.

Litalien also wears a Holstein-print shirt to identify herself to truckers who have been notified of her trek. “Yesterday, I had five honks. It was a good upper for morale”, she said. Van Bergen's company has allowed the trip to feel less lonely for Litalien who, nonetheless, has been thrilled with the vast prairie landscape in front of her. “I live in the country also, and that's why I love to do the prairies”, she said. A professional cabinet maker with her husband back home, Litalien is also enjoying the time away from her usual responsibilities as business woman and mother.

”When you cycle, you're still free from all these worries” she said. Donations in recognition of Litalien's efforts can be made directly to the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada online (www.sbhac.ca) or by phone (1-800-565-9488).

Spina bifida is generally classified by four different levels, ranging from the most severe form in which the spinal cord and its covering protrude from an opening in the spine to form a sac, to the mildest form in which one or more vertebrae are not properly closed, but the defect is otherwise hidden. People with spina bifida experience symptoms ranging from permanent paralysis, loss of sensation, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and in some cases, limited hand function, hearing, vision, and learning abilities.

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