What I’ve learned from my aunt, who has secondary progressive MS

A 3-year-old Chris Delemater smothers his aunt, Jenn Powell, on the couch, along with Toby the dog. (Photos courtesy of Jenn Powell)

Day 25 of 31

This is Chris Delemater’s story:

What is it like to know someone with multiple sclerosis (MS)? Have I learned anything from someone who has it? In fact, my aunt, Jenn Powell, who is the brand and marketing manager at Bionews, the parent company of this website, has secondary progressive MS — and she is one of the most influential people in my life.

Jenn Powell holds her newborn nephew, Chris Delemater, in 2002.

I knew from an early age that she had a lifelong illness, but only more recently did I come to understand the often grim reality that MS can cause. That said, my aunt has been an absolute champion when it comes to dealing with her condition. Not only is she physically strong enough to get through the near-constant pain, but she also has the mental fortitude to wake up every day and go on with life without being bogged down by fear or doubt.

She doesn’t allow the knowledge that her MS will eventually progress to bring her down, and she lives her life to its fullest. In my opinion, her reality with MS has made her more appreciative of every day she has lived and breathed on this planet than anyone else I know. In turn, she has lived a more rich and fulfilling life than she otherwise might have if she never had MS.

In her own amazing way, she has turned what may seem to everyone else to be a curse into a true blessing. I aspire to apply this same attitude to my own lifelong condition of Asperger’s syndrome/autism.

Although MS and Asperger’s syndrome/autism are vastly different, the way we must deal with them is rather similar. The knowledge that I will never quite fit in with everyone else, that my brain is biologically wired differently, and the chronic life-shortening stress I go through is a tough pill to swallow at times.

Jenn Powell and her nephew, Chris Delemater, hang out in sunny Crystal Cove, California, in 2023.

But in difficult times, I like to apply my aunt’s perspective to my own issues. Instead of dwelling on the negative aspects of my diagnosis, I focus instead on all of the good things it has brought me.

My hyperawareness of certain stimuli — sights, smells, sounds, and the like — allows me to live a rich and beautiful life, with a vast library of vivid memories and an appreciation of all the experiences that have led to this moment. The gift of my vivid imagination has given me a love of fantasy literature and writing. Being able to write this Community Spotlight piece is another reminder that my diagnosis can be viewed as a gift, not simply a mental disability, like so many others see it.

All in all, my Aunt Jenn’s way of living with MS has taught me much about my lifelong struggle with Asperger’s syndrome/autism and has brought me a new sense of gratitude. With the right perspective, MS and Asperger’s can both be viewed as gifts rather than curses.

Note: Chris Delemater’s aunt Jenn Powell is the brand and marketing manager for Bionews, the parent company of Multiple Sclerosis News Today, and also hosts a podcast and wrote columns for the site. 

In recognition of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in March, the MS Community Spotlight campaign features a series of stories highlighting the real-life experiences of people affected by MS, written in their own words. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and Pinterest for more stories like this, using the hashtag #MSSpotlight, or read the full series.