It Takes A Global Village to End MS

NEW YORK, May 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Multiple sclerosis is a life altering disease that affects each person in a unique and different way.   More than 2.1 million people worldwide live with MS, which is why demonstrating the power and importance of the global MS movement is critical on World MS Day -- May 29.

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World MS Day is worldwide collaborative awareness campaign taking place in more than 40 countries.  The campaign builds understanding of multiple sclerosis, an often disabling disease of the central nervous system which interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body.  MS is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults. Its hallmark is unpredictability and its symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis.  

Central to the campaign are multi-media awareness efforts stretching around the globe that illustrate what living with MS means, including the opportunity for people affected by MS , especially young adults who are benefitting from current breakthrough treatments, to share the mottos that help guide their daily lives.  For news and pictures of World MS Day activities, see  www.worldmsday.org.    

Leveraging the messaging of the global World MS Day campaign, the National MS Society is also encouraging those who would like to help create a world free of MS to visit www.nationalMSsociety.org  so they can find out how to become part of the global movement and discover what mottos guide people living with MS. They can also add their own mottos if they like.

Other creative efforts supporting and building on World MS Day are:

• To leverage engagement opportunities, Society chapters across the U.S. will be interviewing young adults impacted by MS and collecting photos and video footage which they will post online to inspire and activate people to Join the MS Movement and help create a world free of multiple sclerosis.
• The Society has just launched the funding of 65 new cutting-edge research projects as part of its holistic research strategy that will commit over $48 million to research in 2013 aimed at stopping MS, restoring function and ending MS forever.
• A Live twitter Chat will be jointly hosted on May 28^th, 1-2 pm ET by the Society and Everyday Health.com. The hashtag is #HealthTalk.  It will focus on the latest in research and treatment options and feature Dr. Bruce Bebo, Associate.VP for Discovery Research at the National MS Society and Dr. Gavin Giovannoni, who is affiliated with the Institute of Neurology, University College London and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, as well as several people with MS – Breea Renee, the US Ambassador for World MS Day; David Lyons, a noted body builder and Trevis Gleason, Everyday Health's Life with MS blogger  http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthtalk/-healthtalk-multiple-sclerosis-awareness.aspx?
• A Live Webcast sponsored by the Society will follow on June 11th, 3-4 pm ET and focus on Living Well with MS: Lifestyle, Diet, and Complementary Therapies. It will feature Dr. Brenda Banwell, Division Chief, Neurology, Professor of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Dr. Allen Bowling, Medical Director of the MS Program at the Colorado Neurological Institute; Dr. Albert Lo, Associate Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology, Brown University and Director of the MS Clinic Providence VA Medical Center; and Dr. Timothy Coetzee, Chief Research Officer at the Society.
• In recognition of World MS Day  and the Society's partnership with Pour le Monde 100% natural eau de parfums , on May 29th for each bottle of the ENVISION fragrance purchased, the Society will receive 15% of the purchase price back to support research and program services. http://www.pourlemondeparfums.com/
• MSConnection.org, the Society's online community site, which is an important resource for people affected by MS who would like to connect, share stories, gain insights, and support one another, will be adding several new and exciting features to enhance these goals. Beginning in June, when visitors come to MSconnection.org, they will find at their fingertips customized recommendations based on the information shared on their profiles, online support groups with experienced support group leaders, live chat rooms, enhanced opportunities to search for and connect with people based on the topics that interest them, inspiring stories of people defying MS, tips and breaking research news from MS experts, and much more!
• Whether you volunteer, bike, walk, advocate, educate, support – every action is a way of moving us closer to a world without multiple sclerosis and shows your commitment to the MS movement so please visit www.nationalMSsociety.org to see how you can get involved and make every connection count.

About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.1 million worldwide.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS.  To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people living with MS and their families move forward with their lives.

In 2012 alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted $121.9 million to its programs and services that assisted more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $43.3 million to support over 350 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. Join the movement at www.nationalMSsociety.org

SOURCE National Multiple Sclerosis Society