Multiple Sclerosis
How you can help
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic often disabling disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and optic nerves). It stops communication within the brain and the brain with the rest of the body. Symptoms may be mild including numbness and tingling, or severe such as blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and can vary from one person to another. There is no cure for MS and only eight FDA-approved therapies exist for people with MS.
The Utah-Southern Idaho Chapter supports people living with MS move their lives forward with a mix of programs and services providing direct assistance including educational programs, physical wellness programs, financial assistance, family support, care management, and scholarships. Funds raised also support critical research to stop MS, restore what has been lost and to one day end MS forever.
Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with 2.1 million people worldwide and more than 400,000 Americans. Most people are diagnosed at the peak of their careers and life plans – between the ages of 20-50 years – old but more and more children are being diagnosed. There are more than 10,000 documented pediatric cases and the number is growing.
MS in our Area
Utah has one of the highest incidence rates in the country with 1 in 300 affected. While it is not known what causes MS, it is attributed to a combination of environmental and genetic factors, occurring more frequently among people of northern European ancestry, and in higher latitudes north of the equator. Two attributes common to the state. However, nearly every ethnic group is affected.
The National MS Society MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Last year alone, through our national office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted $164 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $40 million to support more than 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS now. Give what you know at www.MSconnection.org. The Utah-Southern Idaho Chapter, based in Salt Lake City with an office in Boise, Idaho, spans a diverse urban and rural territory serving more than 46,000 people impacted by multiple sclerosis. Learn more at cureMSutah.org and follow us at facebook.com/MSutahIdaho.
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With your generous donation, you could help enrich the life of a person living with MS. For example: $850
Vehicle hand controls to be independent and drive when not having use or good control of their legs
$550 - $270
Portable or window air conditioner, since heat can bringon and/or worsen MS symptoms
$400
Portable wheelchair ramp to access more places more easily
$250
Walker to get around safely without falling
$170
Cooling vest to enjoy the outdoors in hot weather
$150-$70
Eyeglasses, since MS can severely affect eyesight.
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