Join The Movement (NAPSA)—Every hour, someone is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It is the most common neurological disease leading to disability in young adults. Because MS is an unpredictable disease often hallmarked by its “silent” symptoms, such as severe fatigue or inability to feel your limbs, you probably know someone with MS, whether or not you are awareof thatfact. MS stops movement—physical, emotional and psychological. It is a disease that affects the central nervous system and damages myelin, the protective tissue that surrounds the nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. The nerve fibers themselves are also damaged. This damage causes scarring called sclerosis in multiple areas, which disrupts the electrical impulses that flow information from the brain to different parts of the body and makes movementdifficult. The effects of MS are unpredictable. One person may experience memory loss and fatigue while another may suddenly lose his or her ability to see. Some might have trouble walking while others may have slurred speech and tremors. For some, the symptoms of MS come and go; in others, they last forever. Though no one knows what causes MS, there are now treat- ments available that can affect the course of the disease thanksto the exciting research under way around the world. There are also new therapies arriving every day to help manage symptoms, and extensive programsto help people with MS and their families keep moving forward with their lives. Now, with your help, we can raise awareness of this disease that strikes without warning, and build a movement that will lead us to a world free of MS. “Join the Movement.” Here’s how. Cut out this list and place it somewhere prominent. You'll find using it easy and fun. * Tell 10 people you know that MS Awareness Week is March 5th 11th. * Visit the National MS Society’s Website: nationalmssociety.org. Call your local chapter to find out how you can volunteer at an upcoming event or program. Make a donation. Sponsor a walkeror cyclist in an upcoming MS bike tour or walk. Sign up for the next MS Bike Ride or MS Walk. * Contact your local legislators about an issue important to people with disabilities. Get involved with a peer support network. *Put an MS Awareness Week html button on your email signature. For more information, visit www.nationalmssociety.org or call 1-800-344-4867.
