“We may not have the capacity to give later, so we need to do so while we can.” Living with MS each day, these words are the inspirational insights of Mary Ellen Tinman, a very strong-willed woman who, in 1993, pulled herself up by the boot straps and found the Mid-City Support Group in Downtown Chicago. Her sentiments were, “You save yourself some footwork if you talk to others who have already walked your path.”
 
Engaging in discussions with others that can holistically relate to the day-to-day MS journey played an important part in Mary Ellen’s motivation to keep going, eventually encouraging her to be the same resource to others in need of such an outlet. Mary Ellen has been a support group leader for 20 years, and is currently the facilitator over the Oaklawn Support BEAMS (Become Educated About M.S.). When asked what motivated her to ‘join the movement’ Mary Ellen stated, “I wanted to help myself, and enjoyed the opportunity to steer some of my ideas, but it also gave me an opportunity to give back instead of others having to take care of me.” 
 
Mary Ellen, who is a fierce advocate for self-sufficiency and progression, continues to thrive within her service community. Her motivation is as follows:
 
“I want to be there for those who are afraid out of their minds about MS, and show them that it’s not all bad. I want to guide them in becoming more comfortable within their own communities even though they have something different going on with them. Even though we might have disabilities, as a human being we’re still responsible for doing what we can to give back. Just because you have MS doesn’t mean that what you do has to be MS-based; step out of the box and do what’s fulfilling to you and the world.” 
 
Mary Ellen, we thank you for being an Everyday Hero! Your continued advocacy, leadership, drive, and determination to uplift and inform others, all while doing so for yourself, is beyond admirable.