Stop Multiple Sclerosis is the theme of this year’s World Brain Day, taking place July 22 to raise global awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS) through seminars, conferences and other presentations. “Every year, we use World Brain Day to highlight an area of neurology that needs the world’s attention,”…
awareness
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada‘s (MSSC) MS Walk fundraiser is still on for this month — May is MS Awareness Month in Canada — although in an altered form due to the pandemic. The annual nationwide community-driven event raises funds and MS awareness to help battle the neurodegenerative…
You’ve Got to Hide Your MS Away
In honor of MS Awareness Week, observed in the U.K. April 19–25, the MS Society released results of a survey about the barriers that keep multiple sclerosis patients from sharing their health status. Multiple Sclerosis News Today‘s Mary Chapman reported that a whacking one-third have stayed silent about their diagnosis.
Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17–22. Go here to read the latest stories from the conference. There is a lack of diversity among neurologists, who are disproportionately white men, but new programs aimed at inclusivity may…
An MS Society survey found that about one-third of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.K. have kept their condition hidden from their partner, family members, employer, or work colleagues. To help mark MS Awareness Week, observed in the U.K. April 19–25, the nonprofit organization released…
The MS Trust welcomes adolescents with a connection to multiple sclerosis (MS) to join as reporters for its YouTube channel, the U.K. charity announced. Since its April 2018 launch, MSTV has featured young people with MS or those close to them sharing their experiences and first-hand knowledge through…
The pandemic notwithstanding, MS Run the US has fielded 18 runners — including eight with multiple sclerosis (MS) — to traverse the United States to raise awareness and funds to support MS research and to aid those living with disability caused by the neurodegenerative disease. The organization’s Ultra…
It’s nearly the end of MS Awareness Month. Previously, I spoke about helping out with the 31 Days of MS initiative by MS News Today and its parent company, Bionews, to help raise awareness of MS. As…
ThermApparel is observing Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month by celebrating the fourth anniversary of its cooling vest, designed for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and others with extreme sensitivity to heat. “Our mission was to provide customers with a state-of-the-art cooling vest that looks and feels great, and is extremely fashionable,” Kurtis…
In recognition of National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month — celebrated throughout March — Novartis and iHeartRadio are teaming up on a virtual event to celebrate the resilient spirit of people affected by MS. Called “A Night for MS Awareness,” the event will be streamed on…
Photo courtesy of Lelainia Lloyd Day 5 of 31 Lelainia Lloyd is a patient advocate in Canada. These are her words: March is Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) awareness month. NMO is a rare disease that is often mistaken for MS. Many NMO patients are…
Note: This story was updated March 8, 2021, to note that tickets for MSAA’s Virtual Art Tour are still available for purchase. Activities are underway to mark Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, set aside each year to call attention to the neurodegenerative disorder estimated to affect almost 1 million U.S.
Multiple Sclerosis News Today is excited to announce a new initiative called “31 Days of MS,” in recognition of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in March. We will feature a range of stories from people in the MS community, from patients to caregivers to family members. The…
My multiple sclerosis (MS) was diagnosed 40 years ago in August. I never kept my MS a secret, but I didn’t go around advertising it, either. I’ll bet, for the first 20 years or so, very few people at work knew I lived with the disease. When my MS stuck,…
May 30 was World MS Day 2020, an annual initiative for the MS community worldwide to unite. The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation created this global campaign to educate, raise awareness, and offer hope. Its free, online resources provide an abundance of helpful information. Fittingly, the theme for World MS…
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many ways to participate in World MS Day 2020 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…
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada is launching a virtual effort that seeks to connect multiple sclerosis (MS) communities across the country and raise funds for research in observance of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in Canada. As part of the initiative, called #WeChallengeMS, Canadian…
With March being Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, I got to thinking: What have I done — or what do I do — to raise MS awareness? I’ll count some ways to fly the orange flag. Maybe you’ll find inspiration. Communications I’m a writer, so obviously I use my skill…
A little over 20 years ago, Montel Williams learned once and for all that he had multiple sclerosis (MS). But that determination should have happened long before then, said the well-known TV personality — who’s made fighting the neurodegenerative disease his life’s mission. Williams, 63, was the star attraction…
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),…
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) is marking Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week, March 8-14, by sharing patients’ stories and encouraging participation in fundraising and advocacy efforts. Each year, a week is set aside to heighten awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disorder that affects nearly 1 million people in…
In recognition of Rare Disease Day Feb. 29, Bionews Services launched a social media campaign last month asking patients to describe what makes them rare. Running Feb. 7–29, the #WhatMakesMeRare campaign was aimed at uplifting people with rare diseases by encouraging them to share their stories and perspectives. The…
Feb. 29 is Rare Disease Day. It’s a day on which those in the rare disease community attempt to raise awareness about their diseases. I don’t think MS should be included. With about 2.5 million people worldwide in the MS community, I don’t consider it to be rare.
Editor’s note: “Need to Know” is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by two forum topics about silent inflammation from August 2019. Have an experience you want…
After having multiple sclerosis for six years, I’ve decided there are five things “healthy” people might not understand about the disease, and it really drives me crazy. So, I’ve compiled some common misconceptions and advice to help spread awareness among those who aren’t familiar…
There is a sizable gap between advancements in treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and their regulatory approval, which is a circumstance that necessitates increased advocacy on a global scale. This concern was a major topic of conversation recently at the XXIV World Congress of Neurology (WCN 2019)…
A new study shows that 40% of patients in Italy and Germany who have secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) are not aware of their diagnosis, indicating a need for significant improvement in patient-physician communication.
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,…
Leading up to Canada’s Oct. 21 federal election, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada is urging citizens to write their local candidates, asking for greater support of those living with the neurodegenerative disorder. Called #MakeMSMatter, the Sept. 4 through Oct. 21 online letter-writing drive is an effort to…
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 37th Annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Readington,…