Stories & Testimonials

The feature we chose is an active participant in the MS Cure Fund community, J.R. Hardenburgh. J.R. is an avid sailor, who encourages others in the MS community to not let their disease control their life. He sails on a specially adapted sailboat for people with disabilities, and encourages everyone to try something out of their comfort zone. His story, however, begins with the story of a man named Robie Pierce. 

Hi, my name is Anna. I happen to have Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. As of this date, there are not too many options for me to slow down the progression of this monster disease. Instead of sulking and getting depressed, I choose to live my life to the fullest and thumb my nose to MS.

Hello,
 
My name is Colleen Petrone. I am 31 years old and I have relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. I was diagnosed in 2007 at the age of 22, and my son was 3 years old at the time.  Here is my thriving story:

Written by Marisa Bonanno

Thirteen years ago, I was told those four words that changed my life: "You have Multiple Sclerosis."

I had no idea what MS was, nor did I know anyone with MS. There was tingling in my arms, I felt fatigued a lot, and my right leg would drag so badly that I had trouble crossing a room. My symptoms would come and go, but I never knew when I would have another relapse or how long it would last. I had a 2-year-old child and feared how I would be able to take care of myself, and my son.

When it comes to how I “thrive with MS”, there is no single answer. God’s love, the support of my family, having a creative outlet (writing, in my case) and my support group are all key parts of what has kept me going since my diagnosis. None of those, however, translates well pictorially so I’ll talk about my other passion, one that has become an integral part of my therapy: bicycling.

I hadn't skied in the 12 years since my initial MS diagnosis. This opportunity offered the perfect "excuse" to give it another try in an extremely support environment! After signing up for this event, I had a relapse with weakness and numbness in my legs. As I received high dose steroids, I thought I wouldn't be able to attend. However, I had a dream... that vision and feeling of skiing again was so strong that I pushed through it to conquer and overcome any hesitation about what is possible!

By: Maggie H., Northborough, MA

The third annual MS Cure Fund MS Adaptive Ski Day took place on Monday, January 11th, 2016. The event was held at Sunday River in Maine.

“MSers” and their friends had gathered at the resort on Sunday evening for dinner and a presentation on “Overcoming MS and Thriving in Life”. Dinner was great and the talk was excellent, with a lively exchange of ideas. Emphasis was on the benefits of physical and mental exercise, good eating and mindfulness. MS Cure Fund events are different like that; they generally focus on wellness in the individual with MS rather than listing drug therapies.