Nicolle Hodges | [email protected]
It can happen in line at the grocery store, while in her car, at home or in a hotel. Suddenly, Marie LeBlanc鈥檚 brain will go blank and she might drop something, forget what she was saying, or start cracking jokes because it鈥檚 all she can think to do.
For someone living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), environmental triggers are everywhere and often unpredictable.
In conjunction with Pyjama Day - an event to raise awareness about autoimmune diseases - her upcoming event at Habitat for the Arts, WHO says we need fresh air?!, presents MCS in a heartwarming (and heartwrenching) way.
鈥淚 want more compassion for people with this illness,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f somebody has a condition that is hard to diagnose or understand and they go from doctor to doctor with all these symptoms, maybe it鈥檚 an environmental illness.鈥�
What is MCS, exactly?
It鈥檚 a physiological illness that is characterized by chemical sensitivity and the presence of symptoms in multiple organ systems. People living with this condition can be triggered by fragrances, mould, building materials, carpet, glue, and even wifi.
鈥淚t can affect their mental health and ability to learn. It can affect your organs,鈥� said Leblanc, who experienced kidney failure last year after being exposed to fragrance and mould.
鈥淢any are taking their lives and I would like to see that change. Many are sent to a psychiatrist and given medications that don鈥檛 help.鈥�
According to a survey done by Health Canada in 2003, environmental sensitivities are becoming an emerging illness, affecting between two to three per cent of Canadians.
LeBlanc's solo show includes photography of people living with MCS and an hour-long video of comments and insights from people around the world living with the illness.
Having an adverse reaction to so many environmental factors caused Leblanc to isolate herself, as well.
鈥淭here are so many people living in isolation because it鈥檚 hard to go into public spaces,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 went to eating plants in the bush in Northern Manitoba. I got rid of everything I owned in 2016 due to mould. I was boiling my clothes. Bleeding from the ears. I had to leave my place. Since then, I鈥檝e been going around in my van trying to create awareness because that鈥檚 one thing I can do.鈥�
She hopes that at some point MCS will receive an International Classification of Diseases code and the medical condition will be recognized.
She is also crowdfunding for a van to drive across Canada to continue her awareness campaign.
