FALL 2015 MICHIGAN CHAPTER
MS CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
DETROIT METEOROLOGIST CLIMBS MT. RAINIER TO HONOR FATHER AND RAISE FUNDS TO FIGHT MS Chris Edwards is a veteran meteorologist for WXYZ-TV in Detroit. He began his career as a weathercaster in the U.S. Air Force and was one of the first meteorologists with The Weather Channel in Atlanta. His career included time forecasting at WISN-TV in Milwaukee and KYW-TV in Philadelphia. (Continued on page 7)
INSIDE 3 THIS ISSUE
THANK YOU TO EVENT SPONSORS
4&5 8&9 PROGRAMS & SERVICES: UPCOMING PROGRAMS
RESEARCH: NEW DIRECTIONS IN DIET & MS
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ADVOCACY: HOME ACCESSIBILITY INCENTIVE BILLS INTRODUCED
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MS CONNECTION: FALL 2015
Mailing Label Changes
Please check the appropriate box below, correct the label then return to National MS Society, MI Chapter
RECAP MUCKFEST MS
Like us: facebook.com/nmssmi
Thank you to everyone who came out and made MuckFest MS® Detroit such a great success! Over 2,200 runners and volunteers were in attendance and raised over $220,000 for the Michigan Chapter. It was a beautiful day at Willow Metropark where participants got mucky, laughed and enjoyed the day, all while helping those with multiple sclerosis.
Follow us: twitter.com/nmssmi instagram.com/nmssmi
THANK YOU TO OUR TOP FUNDRAISING INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS*
q Name change or misspelled q Address change q Remove from mailing list q Received more than one copy q Please send me my MSConnection via e-mail. My e-mail address is:
GET CONNECTED: Michigan Chapter nationalMSsociety.org/mig info@mig.nmss.org
Watch us: youtube.com/mignmss SIGN UP to receive Society emails at nationalMSsociety. org/signup JOIN the MSConnection.org community TALK to an MS Navigator 7 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Monday - Friday at 1-800-344-4867, Option 2
Individuals (Amount Raised) 1. Heather Pijor ($13,197) 2. Elana Sullivan ($5,015) 3. Jen Hoyle ($4,830) 4. Rosemarie Petty ($3,770) 5. Tony Mackovski ($2,389) Teams (Amount Raised) Don’t MS With Us ($14,962) The Fighting Shamrocks ($12,082.38) Real Estate One ($11,677) Healthcarejourney.com ($6,310) Made Strong ($6,000) *as of August 27th Stay tuned for MuckFest MS® Detroit 2016 event date!
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NATIONALMSSOCIETY.ORG | 1-800-344-4867
THANK YOU EVENT SPONSORS
NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY
Thank you to our 2015 Walk MS, Bike MS, and MuckFest MS event sponsors! And a special thanks to Sam’s Club for being our 2015 Bike MS presenting sponsor!
Great Lakes Breakaway Ride
Michigan Chapter 21311 Civic Center Drive Southfield, MI 48076 1-800-344-4867 Chairman: Michael Brady Chapter President: Elana Sullivan Editor: Sarah Borst Design: Graphinity, Inc. Š 2015 National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter
Cochran Brothers
The Michigan Chapter was so pleased to welcome the Novartis Traveling Exhibit at Detroit Walk MS this past May. The Novartis Traveling exhibit made its way across the country this year to help celebrate the MS movement. Novartis Pharmaceuticals is a proud national sponsor of Walk MS and we are very grateful for their support.
Information provided by the Society is based upon professional advice, published experience and expert opinion. Information provided in response to questions does not constitute therapeutic recommendations or prescriptions. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recommends that all questions and information be discussed with a personal physician. The Society does not endorse products, services or manufacturers. Such names appear here solely because they are considered valuable information. The Society assumes no liability for the use or contents of any product or service mentioned.
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MS CONNECTION: FALL 2015
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Relationship Matters: A Program for COUPLES living with MS November 14
Traverse City MS Aquatics September 12 – November 7 Nine Saturday sessions will be held from 9:50 to 10:40 a.m. at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center Pool. You can attend a single session or weekly. The program is free and no registration is required. Call volunteer Kirsten Ardery at 231-947-6098 for more information.
This dynamic eighthour program in Ypsilanti will address how you can break patterns that prevent effective communication, apply successful problem solving techniques, and work as a team to manage MS and your relationship. Watch for more details or go to nationalMSsociety.org/mig in October.
Managing Bowel and Bladder Issues (North American Education Program, N.A.E.P.) October 1 This free Community Education Program begins at 6:30 p.m. and will include a video presentation featuring a variety of healthcare professionals and researchers in their field to address ways to manage bowel and bladder issues. The Traverse City Self-Help Group welcomes the community to attend this program.
SAVE THE DATE Family Getaway Weekend Saturday, April 2, 2016 Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth Registration will begin in February.
Munson Community Health Center Rooms A&B 550 Munson Ave. Traverse City, MI Question and answer session led by, Jennifer Tursman, PA-C Bay Area Urology. Please contact Karen Bailey 231-947-0244 or Christy Bomba at 989-249-1184 for more information and to RSVP by September 28.
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will be given to those in rural areas. To find out more about this exciting opportunity, please contact the MS Navigator at 1-800-344-4867.
Financial Assistance Looking to try an exercise class in your community that helps you manage your MS? We can help! The Michigan Chapter provides physical activity scholarships for exercise classes such as Aquatics, Tai Chi, and Yoga. There are many options available such as Yoga Moves MS which offers a variety of classes in the Metro Detroit area, featured in this photo. If you would like more information regarding exercise, Yoga Moves MS, or physical activity classes is your area, please speak with an MS Navigator at 1-800-344-4867, option 1. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The National MS Society, Michigan Chapter is excited to announce that a grant was received from the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation. This grant was awarded to the chapter in order to provide twenty Physical Activity Scholarships to qualifying individuals. These limited scholarships are available to individuals that have difficulty moving their arms and/or legs, and are looking to manage their MS symptoms through exercises classes. Special consideration
NEW SELF HELP GROUPS! Friendship, Facts and Fun Support Group National MS Society, Michigan Chapter 21311 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI This group meets every Thursday (May – November) from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Programs will go as follows: n n n n
First Thursday: Educational Programming Second Thursday: Crafts Third Thursday: Brain Building Fourth Thursday: Rest & Relaxation – enjoy snacks and fun activities
Please contact Liz Trapp at 248-936-0341 prior to attending to ensure no schedule changes have occurred. Calhoun County Support Group Physiotherapy 1200 W. Michigan Ave. Marshall, MI This group meets the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The focus of this group is to improve lives through exercise, nutrition, and reviewing the latest trends in treatments. In addition, there is a group for school aged children that runs concurrently. Please contact Denice Raymond at 269-979-1350 prior to attending to ensure no schedule changes have occurred.
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MS CONNECTION: FALL 2015
Proceeds benefit
2015 HONORING
Raj Nair
Ford Motor Company Group Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Global Product Development
Thursday, October 22, 2015 The Dearborn Inn, Dearborn, MI
SAVE THE DATE October 22, 2015
Cocktails & Silent Auction • 6 p.m. Dinner & Program • 7:30 p.m. Join us for the National MS Society's highest honor as we celebrate the progress we've made and pay tribute to those who champion a cure for MS.
For reservation options visit nationalMSsociety.org/mig or contact: Patti Radzik at 248.936.0342 or Patti.Radzik@nmss.org. Finish MS offers athletes of all types and abilities the chance to create a world free of MS while pushing their own personal limits. If you’re racing for fun, you can race to Finish MS! Finish MS offers runners, cyclists, swimmers, and distance athletes of all types the chance to create a world free of MS. If you’re registered for any race event, you can race on behalf of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. You will have access to
powerful online fundraising tools to turn your participation in any third-party race event into a race for a good cause. For more information or to register, please visit our website at nationalMSsociety.org/Chapters/MIG/ Fundraising-Events. Join us at the Detroit Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 18 to participate in the event. If interested in volunteering at the Michigan Chapter’s water stop along the route, please contact Christopher Rowe at 248-936-0362 or Christopher.Rowe@nmss.org.
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NATIONALMSSOCIETY.ORG | 1-800-344-4867 (Continued from front cover) When my son and I looked for an adventure prior to Father’s Day before he leaves for college, we settled on a volcano outside of Seattle that juts almost three miles into the sky. We were determined to try to get to the top to honor my late father, who lived with multiple sclerosis that kept him off big summits, but didn’t keep him from inspiring his son and grandson. You probably don’t picture darkness lit only by a head lamp when you think about climbing a big mountain. The second and hardest day of our climb up Mt. Rainier, Washington started from an elevation of 10,000 feet, at 1:00 in the morning, with snow falling through the darkness after we’d gotten about an hour’s sleep. The glacier we were crunching across looked vast in the light of day, and like all the glaciers on the mostly heavily glaciated peak in the Lower 48, it has cracks or crevasses that we had to avoid or walk over. We also had to make the 14,410 foot summit and get back down before ice and rock started falling off this monster of a mountain as the sun warmed up the slopes later in the day. Ice-fall and rock-fall are more common hazards than crevasse plunges. We dedicated our climb to my dad, who passed away ten years ago when Chase was 8, after he’d lived courageously with multiple sclerosis for many years. We wanted to raise awareness and funds to fight a disease that impacts millions worldwide.
Our team punched through the clouds and falling snow at about 12,500 feet around sunrise. After that, the final push to the top was stressful and exhausting; two teams just in front of us were turned back by their guides because of high winds. Separated by 15 feet of rope and howling winds, it was not a place for regular conversation, but I talked to my dad a lot in that otherwise solitary last hour. It was 17 degrees on the summit with 30 mph steady winds. We weren’t exactly surprised to find out that we were the only Detroit Tigers fans on top of the mountain that morning! Mt. Rainer is a volcano, and though we smelled sulfur emissions on the upper mountain, the large crater on top looked quiet and steam-free to us. People that explore the summit crater usually do see steam, but the winds were too high for our guides to be comfortable letting us do that. Only six of our original group of nine go to stand on the summit which is actually a little better than average success rate. Even though the air was very thin as I held a favorite tie tack of my dad’s for a summit picture, the top of the mountain was a great place to be two days before Father’s Day! This article was written by Chris Edwards and is shared with the National MS Society with the approval of WXYZ TV.
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MS CONNECTION: FALL 2015
RESEARCH
NEW DIRECTIONS IN DIET AND MS BY NICHOL AS L AROCCA, PHD
To think that you might be able to change the course of multiple sclerosis, or at least relieve symptoms, by eating or not eating specific types of food is enticing. However, “the proof is in the pudding,” scientifically speaking, since studying diet is challenging. That’s why it’s been exciting to see how many researchers were trying to do just that at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting, which took place in Washington D.C., this April. Diet and MS was the subject of numerous platform talks and poster sessions, showing that clinicians and researchers are asking the same questions we hear so often from people who live with MS.
DIET AND MS SYMPTOMS In a small study, Dr. Rocco Totaro and a team from the University of L’Aquila in Italy tested whether a six-week diet that was low in saturated animal fats, and high in antioxidants, would be associated with positive changes in body composition and fatigue in 17 people with relapsing-remitting MS. In their study, the participants’ percentage of body fat decreased, and their fatigue as measured by a clinical scale lessened significantly as well. We need more and larger studies like this, to show how diet may
COFFEE MAY LOWER THE RISK OF DEVELPING MS, ALTHOUGH MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED. impact symptoms that affect the lives of people with MS. What does it mean for you now? A healthy diet certainly can’t hurt, and it may even help both MS and general health. (Abstract P2.211)
MORE ON SALT We’re hearing more and more about the possibility that salt may increase the immune activity in the brain and spinal cord in MS. A team from the Network of Pediatric MS Centers showed that this may not be the case in children. Looking at salt intake prior to diagnosis among 174 children or adolescents with MS, compared with 337 people without the disease, they saw no increased risk of developing MS with excess sodium intake. It will be interesting to see if this finding is confirmed, and whether it helps us to understand if, when and how salt becomes a factor in MS. (Abstract S38.003)
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COFFEE AND MS Previous studies have suggested that caffeine may protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, but there haven’t been any definitive studies in MS thus far. So I was intrigued by a study by an international team led by Johns Hopkins University researcher Dr. Ellen Mowry, which looked at coffee consumption in two large data sets—in a group of 1,629 Swedish people with MS and 2,807 people without MS, as well as a group of 584 people with MS and 581 controls enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente health plan of Northern California. In the Swedish study, drinking six cups of coffee a day was associated with a reduced risk of developing MS, and four cups a day did the same in the American study. Studies like this may help us figure out how to prevent MS in the future. What this study doesn’t tell us is whether or how drinking coffee may impact MS in people who already have the disease, so it’s probably not a good idea to increase coffee consumption until we know more. (S45.004)
LOOKING IN THE GUT Gut bacteria is another area where research is increasing, and it presents the exciting possibility that probiotic strategies may ultimately be developed to treat MS. I’m pleased that a small pilot grant from the National MS Society helped launch the MS Microbiome Consortium, a collaboration of researchers in California, Colorado and New York who presented some early findings from their analysis of blood and stool samples from people with MS treated with
glatiramer acetate, untreated individuals and healthy controls. They found differences in gut bacteria between the treated and untreated individuals and also between those with MS and healthy controls. The team recently won a Collaborative MS Research Center Award from the Society to pursue this promising research. I’m eager to see more from this group, and to see how their findings can be translated into a way of stopping immune attacks in MS. (Abstract P2.205)
A NEW ERA Not so long ago, searching the medical literature for “diet and MS” yielded little. I’m thrilled to see that we are entering an era where diet and lifestyle are truly considered to be factors that can help lead to innovative treatments and ultimately free the world of MS
Visit nationalMSsociety.org/signup to sign up for MS eNews and stay up to date on MS research. n Nicholas LaRocca is the Vice President of Health Care Delivery and Policy Research at the National MS Society. Originally published on MSconnection.org/blog.
MS Leadership Class of 2015
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter Congratulates the MS Leadership Class of 2015 The MS Leadership Class honors local business men and women for their outstanding contributions and leadership in the movement to create a world free of multiple sclerosis. Nominated by their peers, members of the Class of 2015 successfully completed a special gifts campaign that helped raise awareness and over $44,000 for the National MS Society, Michigan Chapter.
We salute the MS Leadership Class of 2015 for their leadership and service to the community.
Congratulations to our top fundraisers Andrew Boyce: $8,820 Janice Adams: $6,340 Meghan England: $3,962
THE MS LEADERSHIP CLASS OF 2015: Front Row (L to R): Stephen Roginson, Batch Brewing Company; Janice Adams, General Motors; Linda Ratliff-Watkins, Detroit Chassis; Linda Willemsen, Secrest Wardle; Elana Sullivan, President, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter; Patricia Blount, St. John Providence Health System; Danielle Winne, TriCounty Gastroenterology; Holly Woodruff, Teva Neuroscience; Michele Zaverzence-Venettis, Neurological Recovery Systems. Back Row (L to R): Andrew Boyce, CORE Partners; Tim Gilder, Comprehensive Planning, Inc.; Dr. Amer Aboukasm, St. John Hospital; Jerry Hartley, Fifth Third Bank; Dr. Paul Cullis, Section Chief of Neurology, St. John Hospital & Medical Center, Honorary Chair – Class of 2015; Dr. Bruce Silverman, Section Chief of Neurology, Providence/Providence Park Hospital, Honorary Chair – Class of 2015; Bob Lapinski, Accident Fund Holdings, Inc.; Jason Oldani, Ford Motor Company; Kevin Jaskolski, Ford Motor Company; Jason Hinz, Trinity Health; Gary Kravitz, Lewis & Munday, P.C. Not Pictured: John Denworth, KPMG LLP; Mike Embry, Comprehensive Benefits, Inc.; Meghan England, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles; Steve Jones, General Motors; Marty Kuchar, DTE Energy; Susan Woolner, Mercy Health St. Mary’s.
For additional information about the MS Leadership Class, please e-mail leadershipmi@nmss.org. For information about multiple sclerosis and the programs & services available through the Society, contact: The National MS Society, Michigan Chapter 21311 Civic Center Drive • Southfield, MI 48076
MS Leadership Class Sponsors
1-800-FIGHT-MS • nationalMSsociety.org/mig
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NATIONALMSSOCIETY.ORG | 1-800-344-4867
ADVOCACY
HOME ACCESSIBILITY INCENTIVE BILLS INTRODUCED Thanks to leadership from the Chapter’s Government Relations Committee and the efforts of MS activists during MS State Action Day, two home accessibility incentive bills were introduced in the Michigan legislature. SB395, sponsored by Senator Vincent Gregory of Southfield and HB4719, sponsored by Representative Jeremy Moss of Beverly Hills will provide an income tax credit so that Michigan residents can afford to make their homes more accessible. Such improvements would increase safety and independence, help prevent falls, increase a taxpayer’s connection to a job and the community, and make caregiving tasks more manageable. The tax credit would be available to Michigan residents who retrofit an existing home to improve accessibility and provide universal visitability and to Michigan residents who purchase a new, never occupied, home that has been designed to increase accessibility and universal visitability. A house is visitable when it meets three basic requirements: one zero-step entrance, doors with 32 inches of clear passage space, and one bathroom on the main floor you can get into when using a wheelchair.
The bill would provide up to a $5,000 nonrefundable income tax credit for retrofitting expenses or for a qualifying new home purchase. A credit claimed in a taxable year but not utilized, may carry forward for up to seven years. The total credit issued in the state will be capped annually at $1 million. If the $1 million is exhausted in one year, the credit for each individual applicant must be reduced on a prorated basis. An applicant could claim the balance in the following year. Many steps remain to be completed for the bill to become law. You can help make that happen by taking action: 1) Ask your Michigan representative and senator to support the bills. You can find the names of your legislators at michiganlegislature.org. 2) Join the MS activist network to receive sample messages to send to legislators to support the bill. Go to nationalMSsociety.org/ Get-Involved.
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LIVING WITH MS
RELATIONSHIPS AND MS The National MS Society recently sat down with psychologist Dr. Peggy Crawford to discuss relationships and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Crawford has worked with people with MS and their families for 25 years. She was a staff member of the Mellen Center for Research and Treatment of MS at the Cleveland Clinic and then a faculty member of the Department of Neurology at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Crawford is also involved with the Society, serving as a presenter, consultant and committee member, and is a program staff member at CAN DO MS.
WHAT’S THE GREATEST CHALLENGE THAT COUPLES LIVING WITH MS FACE WHEN IT COMES TO INTIMACY? I think that the primary challenge is communication. When people aren’t talking to each other, they can make a lot of assumptions about what the other person is thinking or feeling. This can become a major obstacle that impacts physical, emotional, and sexual intimacy. Sometimes issues have to do with how people are communicating. Couples also express themselves to each other through body language
RELATIONSHIPS NEED CARE AND ATTENTION. and actions. These can include spending less time with each other or negative facial expressions. Nonverbal communication can make you feel like you’re not communicating much, when in fact you are communicating a lot.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION BARRIERS? One of the things people can do is clarify why there isn’t more or better communication. I’ve worked with couples where the support partner avoids talking about changes in their relationship that are due to MS because the person with MS may become distressed. Sometimes it takes professional assistance to get that communication up and going again. It can also be helpful for people to share any assumptions that they’ve made about why they are not communicating and why they are not intimate. I remember a couple who had been married almost 30 years who came to see me.
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It was clear that they cared about each other, but they hadn’t been physically intimate for years. I asked each of them why they thought they weren’t intimate. And would they like to be intimate again? “Absolutely,” both of them said. It turned out that each of them were very sure why they were not initiating intimacy. The woman, who had MS, said, “It’s because I’m sure he is no longer attracted to me. I’ve had to take steroids that have caused me to gain weight. I don’t initiate intimacy because I just don’t think it’s going to work. I just don’t think he is going to want to have sex.”
Sometimes couples just have very different coping and communication styles. Some people want to know everything about MS. Other people would rather not know all the details. Some people cope by talking about things out loud. Other people are more the silent types. These are characteristics that couples bring to MS, not characteristics that MS brings to couples. So, if you already have differences, MS doesn’t necessarily make them better. On the other hand, some couples say that MS was the kick in the butt they needed to address their communication and relationship issues.
They went from being tearful to laughing and saying, “Can you believe this? All the kids are out of the house. This is our perfect opportunity in life to be intimate as often as we want.” They had never discussed the issue with each other.
I think sometimes we assume that everybody somehow should have learned how to communicate growing up, or that all people in committed relationships know how. Relationships need care and attention – they need to be a priority. Start by turning off the television and phone, making eye contact, summarizing what you think the person just said to you. Practice using “I” statements: “I feel sad.” “I feel frustrated when such and such happens.” The bottom line is that communication takes practice. n
WHAT OTHER BARRIERS MAY BE GETTING IN THE WAY?
Originally published on MSconnection.org/blog.
Another barrier is not having accurate or enough information about MS. Many times people don’t even realize sexual symptoms may be related to their MS. And sometimes even healthcare professionals are embarrassed to bring it up. (To learn more, visit nationalMSsociety. org/intimacy.)
Download “8 Hours to a Lifetime of Happiness,” a relationship enrichment course, and find other resources for couples living with MS at nationalMSsociety.org/family.
The man said, “I don’t even hug and kiss you anymore because I’m so worried that is going to lead to sex, and I know you get those spasms in your legs, and your legs are stiff, and then it hurts you, and the last thing I want to do is cause you pain.”
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MS CONNECTION: FALL 2015
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
PATTI RADZIK
JEWISH VOCATIONAL SERVICES (JVS) I have been with the National MS Society since 2006 as part of the Marketing & Development team at the Michigan Chapter.
In my role as Director of Marketing & Leadership Events, I oversee corporate and media sponsorship recruitment as well as marketing and public relations for the Chapter. I am also the lead staff person for the new Dinner of Champions gala event and I oversee the Golf MS event. In addition, I manage several corporate team relationships including Ford, Real Estate One, and Comerica Bank. Prior to joining the MS Society, I worked for 17 years at another national non-profit organization and for two years in development at a seminary graduate school. I graduated from Madonna University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations/Journalism. A highlight of my personal life was taking a trip to Swaziland, Africa in 2008 with Adventures in Missions, an interdenominational missions organization. The MS mission is close to my heart as several friends are affected by the disease. I’m proud to be a part of the Society’s work to find a cure. Please contact me anytime at 248-936-0342 or Patti.Radzik@nmss.org.
The Michigan Chapter has partnered with the JVS Southfield Center group for four years to perform office volunteer tasks. These volunteers are a diverse group of individuals from the metro area with unique backgrounds and stories. The group rotates based on the day and Charlene and Olga (the group leaders) say that coming to help out the MS Society is one of the best jobs. They often can be seen in our volunteer room putting mailing labels on the many program flyers that we have and jamming along to the radio. They are a very dedicated group and can often finish large mailings in just a few days. That’s thousands of labels! By having the JVS Skill Builders in our office, we help them to refine the skills required to help them if employment is desired. We couldn’t be happier to have this partnership in which we help this group achieve long term success and more fulfillment in life and work by helping them become integrated and independent in the community.
TOP ROW: CHARLENE C, DIANE F, MIKE K, ERICA A, OLGA M. BOTTOM ROW: DAPHNE A, MIKE C, ASHLEY D, JULIE B. DAYNA C
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WAYS TO GIVE
A PROMISE TO KEEP For Thomas Gibbs, multiple sclerosis is one family tradition he wants to end. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2004, just weeks before his first daughter was born (he and his wife Meredith now have four children). “My great-grandmother had it, my mother has it, I have it—and I DON’T want my children to have it,” he emphasizes. Through Bike MS, Gibbs raises awareness and money while also having a great time. “I feel passionate about the cause, but Bike MS weekend is just a ton of fun!” says Gibbs, who lives in Bothell, Wash., about 20 miles north of Seattle. Last year, he and his Bike MS team, the Mutineers, hosted a hotdog fundraiser with a donated keg of beer, which they offered in exchange for a donation. Gibbs personally thanks each donor, making sure they know how much his or her support means to him. He also wants to tell people what it’s like to live with MS. “There is no cookie-cutter definition for how MS impacts the person living with it. If you know someone who has MS, listen to what they have to say.” Gibbs stresses that the fun of Bike MS has a deeper meaning—specifically, a better life for people with MS. “Raising money and advocating will impact the lives of people all over the world for the better, but getting active through Bike MS will give you a better quality of life, too,” he says. “You’ll feel good about it, I promise.” n
THOMAS GIBBS (CENTER, IN RED HELMET) WITH HIS BIKE MS TEAM, THE MUTINEERS.
I RIDE WITH MS People who participate in Bike MS may do so to support family members, friends or coworkers who have been diagnosed with MS. But, there are also legions of participants who live—and ride—with the disease, despite challenges such as fatigue or weakness. The I Ride with MS program recognizes Bike MS cyclists who are also living with MS. Anyone living with MS interested in cycling to support the MS movement can join the program, enjoy special day-ofevent benefits and receive a complimentary “I Ride with MS” jersey. Genzyme and MS One to One, and Primal Wear are are proud supporters of the I Ride with MS program, available through all 100 Bike MS events nationwide. Visit BikeMS.org for more information or to register for the program.
21311 Civic Center Dr. Southfield, MI 48076
The Golden Circle program recognizes the Michigan Chapter’s top annual donors, who give $1,000 or more directly or through an event. The Michigan Chapter strives to enhance Golden Circle members’ connection to the mission of the National MS Society. Throughout the year, members receive special opportunities and communications including invitations to exclusive speakers and receptions, chapter and research newsletters, and complimentary tickets to the Michigan Chapter’s Annual Meeting.
If you are interested in joining the Golden Circle, please contact Tim Krause, Donor Engagement Manager Tim.Krause@nmss.org or 248-351-2190.