Willa Condy says, “I’m ‘Moving my Lymph,’” and hoping for a little fundraising help from the community.
She’s part of a Lymph-in-Motion Challenge, running now and until Dec. 15.
Her goal is to raise $500 for the cause — lymphedema — a chronic condition she’s been living with for years.
“I have been living with lymphedema for 17 years,” Condy shares. “Lymphedema is a progressive disease with no cure. My lymphedema is now total body.”
Funds raised will go to the BC Lymphedema Association (BCLA), a nonprofit established to support people living with lymphatic diseases and promote healthy and hopeful living with the condition.
”In my lymphedema journey I have received support and education from BCLA,” Condy told the Trail Times. “It (the fundraiser) benefits the British Columbia Lymphedema Association and the funds will help in awards to train more therapists to help deal with the specialized massage and bandaging that people living with lymphatic diseases need.”
BCLA also offers education and actively advocates for help with therapy and garments for those living with these incurable diseases, she adds.
“Garments are expensive, so is manual lymph drainage.”
Condy’s “Moving my Lymph” challenge involves daily exercise, which is an effective way to manage the edema (swelling) caused by lymphatic disease.
So far she’s bicycled and walked with the aid of ski poles around Trail, bounced on a rebounder nightly in her home, and now that the Trail pool has reopened, she’s hoping to get in some lane swimming.
”The fundraiser will raise funds but more importantly help encourage people living with lymphedema and lipedema to become more active,” Condy says. “The more we move the better our lymph flow is.”
Condy is raising money online through CanadaHelps.org.
To donate and read more about her challenge click here: Willa Condy “Moving my Lymph”
What Is lymphedema?
Lymphedema refers to tissue swelling caused by an accumulation of protein-rich fluid that’s usually drained through the body’s lymphatic system. More simply, lymph nodes act like a drain in your sink. If the drain is clogged, the fluid cannot drain. It most commonly affects the arms or legs, but can also occur in the chest wall, abdomen, neck and genitals.
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