Jul 10, 2009
Scholarship Funds Week Of Relaxation For Bloomfield Woman
Sean O'Leary, Communications Specialist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scholarship Funds Week Of Relaxation For Bloomfield Woman
BLOOMFIELD, Conn. – The 2009 MS Vacation Week allowed those living with multiple sclerosis the opportunity to sing, fish and swim – activities that their disease had prevented them from doing on a regular basis.
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| Bloomfield resident Dianne Caldwell smiles during this year’s MS Vacation Week at Easter Seals Hemlocks Recreation Center in Hebron from June 21 to June 26. Caldwell, who was diagnosed with MS in 1999, was named as the recipient of the Susan A. Hyams Memorial Scholarship that enabled her to attend MS Vacation Week. “This is my fourth year and it seems to get better every year,” Caldwell said. |
But for Bloomfield resident Dianne Caldwell, the high point of the week would involve doing nothing at all.
“I love the massages,” she said smiling. “All of the different activities are really fun but there’s nothing better to me than just lying down and getting a massage. It’s just the best feeling in the world.”
Caldwell, who was diagnosed with MS in 1999, was named by the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, as the recipient of the Susan A. Hyams Memorial Scholarship that enabled her to attend MS Vacation Week.
“This is my fourth year and it seems to get better every year,” shared Caldwell. “Being able to come to Vacation Week as a result of the scholarship means a lot to me and I appreciate it.”
The Susan A. Hyams Memorial Scholarship is an annual fund established in 2003 by West Hartford resident and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center physician Jeffrey Hyams, M.D., as a tribute to his wife who passed away due to complications related to multiple sclerosis in 2002.
Each year, Susan Hyams’ parents visit MS Vacation Week to meet the scholarship recipient.
“Our daughter loved MS Vacation Week so much we thought it was appropriate that there be a scholarship in her honor,” said Alice Margolis, of West Hartford, who visited Caldwell with her husband, Herb.
MS Vacation Week took place this year at Easter Seals Hemlocks Recreation Center in Hebron from June 21 to June 26. Camp Hemlocks is specially designed for accessibility and the facility provides a unique environment allowing for independence.
On the morning of Monday, June 22, Camp Hemlocks was buzzing with activity as attendees could chose from archery, a beauty day that included free manicures, pedicures and haircuts by Brio Academy in East Hartford and the pool for swimming or aquasizing.
Caldwell took a different approach to the morning, choosing instead to enjoy the rural nature of the camp by reading a book outdoors before her massage appointment that afternoon from Salter School in Massachusetts. After mingling with others at Vacation Week, she said that one of the best aspects is talking with people that understand living with MS.
“It’s impossible to describe what having MS feels like but the people I’ve met here and been friends with, they know,” said Caldwell. “It’s why I love it so much.”
More than 6,000 Connecticut residents live with multiple sclerosis, a chronic and often disabling disease of the central nervous system. There currently is no cure. Symptoms can include, among other things, numbness in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness and, in some more severe cases, total paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.
“MS Vacation Week is a rare opportunity for those living in advanced stages of MS to experience fun-filled camp activities, not usually accessible or achievable because of the disabling effects of the disease,” said Lisa Gerrol, Connecticut Chapter president. “We are thankful to Dr. Hyams for his generous support, which annually funds camper fees, personal care assistance and transportation for clients to attend this vital program.”
If you would like to know more about MS Vacation Week or the Susan A. Hyams Memorial Fund, please contact Amy Watkins, assistant chapter programs manager at 860-913-2550, ext. 247, or awatkins@ctfightsMS.org.
7/10/09
Sean O'Leary
Communications Specialist
National MS Society - Connecticut Chapter
659 Tower Avenue, First Floor
Hartford, CT 06112
tel 860.913.2550, ext. 249
soleary@ctfightsMS.org
www.ctfightsMS.org