I’ve found my voice and I’m making it heard for the MS community

Hollie Amadio meets with Stefanie Barone, a staffer for U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-MD, to advocate for the Safe Step Act. (Photos courtesy of Hollie Amadio)

Day 27 of 31

This is Hollie Amadio’s story:

“Hollie, you’re having a stroke from eating all those chocolate eggs!” my dad blurted out.

“Well, do I have to go to the hospital for a stroke?” I asked, half expecting him to say no.

“Yes,” he said. “And I can’t take you. Your brothers have a baseball tournament.”

Amadio rappels down the side of a cliff wall in Estes Park, Colorado, as part of a weeklong rock climbing adventure for MS patients that was hosted by First Descents. Her helmet reads “Sunflower,” her First Descent handle.

With my left side completely numb, I figured I’d just drive myself since the right side of me felt fine. It seemed reasonable at the time that it was my love of Cadbury Mini Eggs was what was about to land me in the ER, but the truth was far bigger. Multiple sclerosis (MS) was about to turn my world upside down.

I thought MS would be a battle against my body. I never realized it would be a battle against my life.

At 27 and a single mother of four, I had no way of knowing that my diagnosis wouldn’t just mean health struggles, it would mean losing the ability to work, facing homelessness, and slipping into a depression and self-pity that consumed me with every relapse. I never expected to grieve my life while I was still living it, but that’s exactly what MS forced me to do.

For a long time, I didn’t do much to help myself. I was stuck in survival mode, going through the motions, convincing myself that this was just how life would be now.

Then, fate intervened. A random trip to a UPS store led me to where I am right now and to my future support group leader.

Amadio, top left, volunteers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at the Taste of Generosity fundraiser in Baltimore alongside (clockwise from top left) support group leader Monica Proctor Wilson, Stephanie Doctor, and Summer Martini.

That group of fellow warriors became my lifeline. They understood my struggles in a way no one else could because they were living it too. They pulled me out of the darkness and reminded me that MS doesn’t have to steal everything.

That moment reignited something in me. Instead of letting MS define me, I found my voice in advocacy. I began fighting for policy changes, pushing for better treatment access, and ensuring that others in my position never felt as alone as I once did. I found community and turned my pain into purpose, speaking out for those who couldn’t.
This disease may take pieces of our bodies, but it will never take my heart or my soul.

No matter how hard things get, I have the resilience to push through. I am not just surviving anymore. I am living, fighting, and making sure our voices are heard.

Note: Hollie Amadio is a columnist for Angioedema News, which shares the same parent company as Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Her column can be found here. 

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.