My Journey with MS: Fundraising for MS (Part 2)
Last week, I told you about being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a decade ago when I was 23 and how life with a chronic illness affects how I live and build my business.
Today, I want to talk about how I got involved in fundraising for MS, and how I use my design skills to serve this cause that’s so personal to me. If you are able, I hope you will consider making a donation to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Thank you.
How I Met the National MS Society
When I was first diagnosed, my doctor recommended I check out the educational resources at the National MS Society. It’s not always a given that people will understand or even believe what it is you need, so it was so important and valuable to have these resources to start learning how to be an informed patient and an advocate for myself.
In the first few months of my diagnosis, I learned a Walk MS event was happening in Savannah where I was living at the time, finishing my master’s degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I signed up because I felt like I wanted to be part of the larger MS community.
I remember that first event having a really positive atmosphere. It was wild for me to see people with their big teams by their side, standing out in the open about living with MS. It helped me feel a little less afraid. I had a small team by my side including some of my grad school classmates and my now-husband, Nate, and was able to feel the love and support they were sharing by showing up for me that day.
How the National MS Society Helps Me
There were a lot of unexpected benefits from that first event. I got to use it as a way to tell friends and family about my new diagnosis and give them a way to be supportive of what I was going through.
That year I got donations from some folks I hadn’t spoken to in years. People reached out to let me know about other people they knew with MS who were doing well. One of my cousins and his girlfriend even participated in a local walk in Maryland on my behalf to show support from far away. I believe their team name was something like “No MS-in Around” — they had asked me if something humorous would be OK and I was totally down for that.
Through the fundraising and donations, I was able to feel seen and cared for in a very scary time.
How I Help the National MS Society
I’ve participated in Walk MS every year since 2011. I’ve formed a team — Mighty Striders: We Never Walk Alone — and together we have raised nearly $25,000 to give back to the National MS Society. Each walk is an opportunity for me to update folks on how I’m doing, to celebrate wins, and to share challenges and concerns. It’s a beautiful ritual that I value very much.
Of course, my team has our own logo. Hopefully, you wouldn’t expect anything less from me. I designed t-shirts using DIY screenprinting at home, and as my team has grown and more friends and family want to join us to walk, I’ve had to make more.
Over the past 10 years, I have felt supported and cared for by the efforts of the National MS Society. The benefits I receive from that relationship — information, community, resources — reinforce my desire to use my design skills for good. That relationship makes it all the more important to me to support other organizations and cause-driven businesses that make the kind of impact on people’s lives that the National MS Society has made on mine.
To learn more about the National MS Society, click here. If my story has inspired you to make a donation, I am honored and grateful.