Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, incorporated in 1946, is determined to spur clinical research on towards a cure, and to provide information and support for those affected by the disease.
Multiple Sclerosis
MS is considered an autoimmune disease, since the body's own immune system attacks the myelin surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. This results in impaired movement, including numbness and loss of balance, but the extent of that impairment varies greatly from person to person. While the disease can lead to paralysis, two-thirds of people living with MS retain their ability to walk, albeit often with a cane or some other aid.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, there are currently 400,000 diagnosed cases of MS in the United States, with 200 more cases diagnosed every week. Women are two to three times more likely than men to develop the disease, and it is mostly discovered between the ages of twenty and fifty.
It is unknown what causes MS, and there is no known cure, but there are now FDA-approved medications that help prevent relapses as well as slow down the progress of the disease.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society states: "We mobilize people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS."
The Society was founded by Sylvia Lawry, who also founded the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation. Born in 1915, Sylvia was studying at Hunter College in New York City when her younger brother Bernard was diagnosed with MS. With minimal knowledge of and no cure for the disease, medical professionals had little to offer the family.
In 1945 Sylvia gathered together some of the country's top medical researchers, and in 1946 the Association for the Advancement of Research in Multiple Sclerosis was incorporated. In 1947 it was renamed the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, broadening the focus to encompass both clinical research as well as providing support and information to all those affected by the disease.
Bernard died in 1973 of MS-related causes. Sylvia did not stop her active war with the disease until she was hospitalized due to a respiratory illness in 2000. She died in 2001.
Today, the MS Society has chapters in all fifty states. Every year the Society spends $126 million to serve over a million people, and every year it spends $46 million to help fund over 440 research projects. Since its incorporation, the MS Society has spent $600 million on MS research. The Society offers educational programs about the disease, organizes advocacy campaigns, and has been instrumental in the development of today's MS medications.
Getting Involved in the Fight Against MS
The National MS Society provides plenty of events and other opportunities for people to get involved in the ongoing fight against multiple sclerosis. Events include Walk MS, the Challenge Walk, Mud Run MS, Bike MS, Dinner of Champions, Women on the Move Luncheon, and the National Conference.
There are also a host of other events carried out by local MS Society chapters. Individuals and groups all across the US continue to find fun and creative ways to raise much-needed funds for research and support for those living with MS, as well as to spread the word about the disease.
Stopping MS From Stopping Us
With its mission to find a cure for multiple sclerosis and its devotion to those affected by it, the National MS Society is determined to follow in the footsteps of its relentless founder. "MS stops people from moving," says the Society. "We exist to make sure it doesn't."
Sources
- "National Multiple Sclerosis Society." National MS Society online.
Sarah McCabe - Sarah scooted around from country to country as a Foreign Service kid, got her BA in linguistics at the College of William and Mary in ...
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