MS Mindshift Brings Brain Health Effort, ‘Brain Bulb’ Hot Air Balloon to Atlanta Area Festival
The MS MindShift: A New View of MS initiative is continuing its travels to raise awareness and educate people about brain health in multiple sclerosis (MS), with the next stop for its “Brain Bulb” hot air balloon the Owl-O-Ween Hot Air Balloon Festival in Kennesaw, Georgia.
This weekend’s event, Oct. 18–19, is the largest hot air balloon festival and costume party in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Attendees can view the Brain Bulb balloon up-close and enjoy rides in it, all the while gaining a new perspective on MS, learning more about the disease and about the MS MindShift awareness and education campaign on brain health.
“Brain lesions can cause damaged areas of the brain to not function properly. However, through an amazing process known as neurological reserve, other areas of the brain can step in and perform the tasks that part of the brain no longer can,” Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, a neurologist at the area’s Joi Life Wellness Group, said in a press release.
“It’s important that people living with MS understand the role the brain plays in the disease, as well as the healthy choices they can consider to help maintain neurological reserve longer. This can potentially help keep them from experiencing MS symptoms early on in the disease,” Williams added.
MS MindShift results from a joint effort by Celgene and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) to promote solidarity with and support those affected by MS.
Its main goal is to educate people about the brain’s key role in MS, and to help those with the disease keep their brain as healthy as possible for as long as they can.
Similar to a hot air balloon — which needs regular maintenance to keep flying — the brain needs attention, in the form of a healthy lifestyle (a good diet, regular exercise, social interaction, adequate sleep, etc.) to kept in shape and minimize and delay the symptoms of MS.
“We’re excited to partner with Celgene on the MS MindShift campaign to raise awareness of this critical topic within the MS community,” Amanda Montague, vice president of education and healthcare relations at MSAA, said. “This initiative aligns with our mission to help improve the lives of people with MS by providing them with the resources and support needed to help manage their condition.”
Sheri Lydick, who is the U.S. commercial lead at Celgene, added: “Events like the Owl-O-Ween Hot Air Balloon Festival provide an opportunity to raise awareness about MS among a broader audience and elevate this important conversation.”
Find more about the initiative at its website and join its online community on Facebook, where more information about the MS MindShift events is available.
