March 15, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD New bilingual graphic aims to raise awareness of early MS symptoms A bilingual graphic educational message, dubbed VISIBL-MS, has been developed by researchers at the University of Connecticut (UConn) to raise awareness about the early symptoms of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). The graphic ā bearing the word āVISIBLYā in English and āVISIBLEā in Spanish ā uses the letters in each phrase…
February 28, 2024 Columns by Mike Parker MS awareness events are an opportunity to build understanding We’ve all heard comments from people who aren’t educated about multiple sclerosis (MS). Some that I’ve heard include “My friend had that and is fine now,” “Eating better will fix you,” and “Try a parasite cleanse.” I have to chuckle at these statements.Ā With March not far away,…
April 6, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Being seen is an incredible thing when MS makes you feel invisible The kids had their spring break last week, so we loaded up and drove to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. I promise this column won’t be a review of the theme park and its accessibility (which was great, by the way). It won’t offer tips about traveling with…
March 25, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias One Month of MS Awareness Isn’t Enough I’m changing my mind about MS Awareness Month ā at least a little ā thanks to “31 Days of MS.” Whether it’s an awareness month or a week, or whether it’s for MS or disabilities in general, I’ve never been a big fan of these types of initiatives. But this…
November 23, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD Autoimmune Patients Want Clearer COVID-19 Vaccine Info Patients with autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), are uncertain about how to protect themselves against COVID-19, especially with regards to booster shots of the vaccine. According to a national survey by the nonprofit Alliance for Patient Access, these patients are confused due to conflicting information from the…
November 10, 2021 Columns by Beth Ullah MS Advocacy Gives Me Strength and Purpose I want to help in any way I possibly can. My lonely confusion in the early days after being diagnosed with aggressive relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis was mentally and physically paralyzing. However, this column isnāt about how āHurricane MSā battered my body. Instead, it’s about why I chose to…
September 3, 2021 News by Yedida Y Bogachkov PhD 13th Annual Burgers to Beat MS Day Raises $1.4M Though 13 may be an unlucky number for some, that was not the case for the 13th Annual A&W Canada “Burgers to Beat MS Day.” The initiative raised $1.4 million, bringing the total for the 13-year run to more than $17 million. On Aug. 19, every A&W Teen Burger…
August 24, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD MS Society to Hold Black MS Experience Summit The National Multiple Sclerosis Society will host the second edition of its Black MS Experience Summit, a virtual event to help forge connections among those who understand the experience of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) as a Black person. Register hereĀ to join the interactive, two-day…
June 10, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Are You Overdosed on Toxic Positivity? Take the #RealTalkRare Challenge Has anyone ever told you to be thankful that things aren’t worse after you’ve received upsetting news? Have you ever felt pressured by others to be grateful, even in the most difficult circumstances? It’s happened to me more times than I can remember. I now understand…
May 26, 2021 News by Hawken Miller World MS Day Continues Online With Connections Theme for 2021 World MS Day, created by the MS International Federation and its members in 2009 to bring together the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, will this year continue online its 2020ā2022 theme of improving connections to break down social barriers. The globalĀ MSĀ campaign, featuring…
November 19, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Progressive MS Focus of EMSP Virtual Meeting Open to All Starting Today Progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) is the focus of the 2020 virtualĀ European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP)Ā annual meeting that runs though Friday, Nov. 20. Registration is free for the two-dayĀ conference. Those interested in participating can registerĀ here. According to a EMSP press release, topics to be discussed include the most…
November 2, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS People With MS Invited to Submit Their Art for 2021 MSAA Art Showcase People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are invited to submit their artwork to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America‘s (MSAA) annual Art Showcase. The online event aims to share the work of artists with MS and their life stories. Applications are opened till Dec. 14 and are restricted to…
May 28, 2020 News by Mary Chapman World MS Day, May 30, Goes On … But Online Despite the COVID-19Ā pandemic, there are many ways to participate inĀ World MS Day 2020Ā on May 30, set aside to raise awareness about the neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 2.3 million people globally. Organized by the MS International Federation (MSIF), the event brings together the global…
March 11, 2020 News by Mary Chapman MSAA Events Focus on Mind-Body Connection to Mark MS Awareness Month The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is offering a host of educational activities on wellness strategies that address both the mind and body in its efforts to mark Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. Each year, a month is set aside to heighten awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS),…
December 4, 2019 News by Mary Chapman National MS Society Establishes Partnership with Jon Strum’s ‘RealTalk MS’ Podcast When Jon Strum began his āRealTalk MSā podcast two years ago, he did not imagine he soon would have thousands of regular listeners in more than 60 countries. Now, Strum’s popular online audio series has a new partner: the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). Strum uses his weekly…
November 21, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS WCN 2019 Discussions Point to Failures of Regulators to Make MS Therapies Available There is a sizable gap between advancements in treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā and their regulatory approval, which is a circumstance that necessitates increased Ā advocacy on a global scale. This concern was a major topic of conversation recently at theĀ XXIV World Congress of NeurologyĀ (WCN 2019)…
July 26, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD MS MindShift Campaign Uses Balloon Festival to Raise Awareness About MS Brain Health Celgene and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) are working together to bring the “MS MindShift: A New View of MS” campaign, which is raising awareness about the importance of brain health in multiple sclerosis (MS), to the 37thĀ AnnualĀ QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Readington,…
May 30, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD MS International Federation Urges Participation in Visibility Campaign on World MS Day The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) is encouraging family members, caregivers, and patients affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) to participate in World MS DayĀ today. Created by MSIF and its members in 2009 to promote solidarity and bring hope to those affected by MS, the global initiative takes…
May 30, 2019 News by Alejandra Viviescas, PhD Canadians Wrap Up MS Awareness Month with ‘Acts of Greatness’ Campaign The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society of Canada closed its celebration of multiple sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month by launching the Acts of Greatness campaign that aims to raise $75 million to support research about the disease. The campaign was activated May 24 with the placements of five-meter decals…
May 29, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Celgene and MS Association of America Collaborating to Boost Knowledge on Brain Health in MS Biopharmaceutical company Celgene has teamed up with the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) to launch a new initiative called MS MindShift: A New View of MS, aimed at educating the multiple sclerosis (MS) community on brain health. Although it’s an “important topic,” brain health “is not…
May 3, 2019 News by Mary Chapman MS Patient and Advocate āLonghaulpaulā Raises $18,500 for Disease Research and Patient Support As his moniker suggests, multiple sclerosis (MS) patient Paul Pelland is in it for the long haul. Known as “Longhaulpaul,” Pelland recently set a world motorcycling endurance record ā his third ā on a dynamometerĀ while raising $18,500 for MS research and patient support. Pelland rode his Yamaha Star Venture for…
March 19, 2019 News by BioNews Staff Sex and Intimacy Is Focus of MSAA Webinar Sex and intimacy are good for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), just as they are for anyone without the disease. And while fear of talking with a partner about possible sexual challenges created by MS is perfectly normal, there is help available to deal with potential problems. Thatās according…
March 13, 2019 News by Mary Chapman On the Heels of New MS Prevalence Study, the National MS Society Marks MS Awareness Week with Patient Stories Spurred on by a recent multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence study, which revealed that the number of MS patients in the U.S. is double (nearly one million) what had been previously thought, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is marking MS Awareness Week by sharing stories of those affected…
March 12, 2019 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Visibly Me, Visible MS Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month has arrived, lasting throughout the month of March. All things orange and popular hashtags flood social media sites. Awareness months like this have great value, though some may disagree. Awareness months become vessels to engage and encourage individuals and communities to get involved.
March 10, 2019 News by Larry Luxner MS Patients Share Their Stories at NYC Event Featuring Montel Williams After months of preparation with storytelling experts, three ordinary Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS) took the stage in New York late last year to share their MS journeys. The three joined TV personality Montel Williams at an event inaugurating My MS: Second Act, a joint effort co-sponsored by…
January 22, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Selma Blair Is Posting About Her MS Again ā Is This Good or Bad? Last October actress Selma Blair revealed that she’d been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). She did it by posting the announcement on her Instagram account. Back then she wrote, “I have MS and I am ok.” She described her symptoms in some detail, but her overall viewpoint was generally…
October 30, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Thinking About Selma Blair and Her MS By now you may have heard that actress Selma Blair has revealed that she has multiple sclerosis (MS). That took a lot of guts. Those of us who share her diagnosis might learn a few things from what she’s shared and how she’s shared it. Blair may be…
August 31, 2018 News by Janet Stewart, MSc A&W Canada ‘Burgers to Beat MS’ Campaign Raises $1.9 Million A&W Food Services of Canada, a chain of hamburger restaurants, in partnership with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, raised more than $1.9 million at its 10thĀ annual “Burgers to Beat MS”Ā campaign Aug. 16. This is the largest amount the campaign has raised. To celebrateĀ Burgers to Beat MSĀ campaign,…
August 17, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias 2 Short Films Take Different Approaches to Portraying Life with MS Over the past week, I’ve come across two short films that are designed to show what it’s like living with MS. But they have two very different approaches. Interested in MS research? Sign up…
August 3, 2018 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Remington College Opens Partnership with National MS Society by Raising $4,000 to Advance Goals Remington CollegeĀ initiated its partnership with the National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ by raising more than $4,000 to support the society and its efforts to advance research into multiple sclerosis and care for patients. The money was raised at campus events that markedĀ World MS DayĀ inĀ May. In addition to encouraging…