LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- April 14, 2009
Dear Editor,
Spring has arrived and it is a time for optimism and renewed hope.
Part of this renewed hope is that it is time for the annual MS Walk. The MS Walk is the primary source of funds the MS Society uses to provide programs and services for people with Multiple Sclerosis, and to support research seeking a cure for MS.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. MS is the most common neurological disease of young adults in Canada. Women are three times more likely to develop MS than men. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, although many more children, some as young as three years of age, are now being diagnosed. Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis include vision problems, extreme fatigue, loss of balance, pain, depression, memory problems, loss of co-ordination, and paralysis. The course of MS is unpredictable and its effects last a lifetime. At present, there is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis.
However, research has made great progress in finding the cause of Multiple Sclerosis and in developing new treatments for MS. Just a decade ago there were no therapies for MS. Today, there are several therapies that reduce the frequency and severity of attacks, although these treatments are only partially effective, are only moderately tolerable, require frequent injections, and are very expensive.
I have secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis. I have hope, even at this stage of development of my MS, that a discovery will be made that will allow me to once again be able to walk and fully participate in our society. There are two upcoming research trials to test new medications that hold promise for partial recovery from the symptoms of MS. I hope I am healthy enough to be able to participate in one of the trials. Research has made a difference in the lives of people with MS, and research is the key to finding a cure.
I will be 'wheeling' in the South Okanagan - Similkameen MS Walk on April 26 in Penticton and need your support. If you are able and willing to support my efforts, please make your cheque payable to the MS Society - Research.
Please send your cheque to Ken Carlson, Box 1354, Princeton, BC V0X 1W0. You can also use your credit card and sponsor me on-line at
www.mssociety.ca and follow the links to my name under MSWalk in Penticton. A tax deductible receipt will be issued.
I wish I could declare that my motivation for participating in the MS Walk and raising money in support of research is altruistic; but it is not. I need a cure.
If you have any questions, I can be contacted by email at kenwcarlson@hotmail.com
or by telephone at (250) 295-7582.
Your support and encouragement is much appreciated.
Yours truly,
Ken Carlson, Princeton
