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Walk MS makes its way to Borger |
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Tuesday, April 01 2008 |
By BROOKE HUFF
REPORTER
It’s time to join the movement to help free the world of MS as the Valero Energy Walk MS 2008 makes its way to Borger. Scheduled for April 19, Walk MS will start and end at Borger Middle School and is intended to raise funds for the Panhandle Division of the National MS Society.
MS, or Multiple Sclerosis, is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, leading to demyelination. Currently, its cause is unknown, and according to the National MS Society, it has no cure. The effects of MS vary from person to person and range from numbness and cognitive problems to blindness and even paralysis. It is believed that one in every 1000 people in North America suffers from MS, and is more prevalent in women. There are approximately 800 people in the Texas Panhandle alone currently living with MS.
“We typically call this ‘the prime of life disease’ because it most often is diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 50. More and more, however, we are seeing younger people being diagnosed. We are even seeing teenage clients now who are living with this devastating disease. We also have a number of people in Borger and Hutchinson County with the disease,” said April Brownlee, Development Coordinator for the Panhandle Division of the NMSS. “The Panhandle is an area that is an unusual pocket of cases, we have about twice the rate that would statistically be expected for this area.”
Walk MS covers a four-mile stretch that raises funds through pledges from individuals and businesses. Once participants sign up for the walk, they agree to collect pledges from friends, family, and coworkers in exchange for their walking efforts. There is no registration fee or minimum pledge, but the funds raised will be used to help provide a variety of services and support for the MS sufferers across the county. According to Brownlee, the funds raised in 2008 will be put to even better use this year.
“We are so excited about the direction the society is going in 2008,” she said. “We can’t cure MS, so we have been charged to do something now for those who have the disease, which means we’re dedicating more money than ever before for financial assistance.”
Through Walk MS, Brownlee said, NMSS will be able to help more people with things like paying a bill or modifying their home in some way. They will even be able to assist with travel expenses to see a specialist.
“This is particularly important because the cost of medications to treat MS run upwards of $2,500 a month,” she said.
Brownlee said that currently the only treatments for MS are through IV drug therapies, which must be injected daily or weekly. These injections, Brownlee said, will slow down the progression of the disease but will not cure it.
For more information about Walk MS, or to register, call 806-468-8005 or log on to www.mspanhandle.org.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, April 02 2008 )
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