Jul 15, 2009
Wilton Resident Wants To Slice MS
Sean O'Leary, Communications Specialist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wilton Resident Wants To Slice MS
WILTON, Conn. – For Wilton resident John Schiaroli, the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis were mistaken for ski boots that were a tad too tight.
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| Wilton resident John Schiaroli smiles next to the logo of his employer, Wusthof-Trident Of America, a world-renowned knife maker. Schiaroli, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000, will speak to guests about his personal battle during the MS Taste of Hope, Fairfield County that will take place at Aitoro in Norwalk Thursday, Sept. 24, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wusthof will be donating knives for cooks to use during the event and supply knife sets for the silent auction. |
“I had gone skiing for a full day and when I was done, my foot was tingling and it felt like pins and needles,” Schiaroli explained. “The doctor at the time said it was a result of low potassium so I ate a banana every day and it eventually went away for the rest of the year.”
A year later, in Dec. 1999, Schiaroli again went skiing but this time the loss of feeling was obviously not due to a tight boot. He revealed that the tingling had now spread further up the leg and was accompanied by intense lower back pain.
“From that point to the official diagnosis was only two months,” said Schiaroli, who was officially diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2000. “They told me it was a classic case and I had very identifiable symptoms. I’ve had some struggles since then but I’ve learned to manage my life.”
From the moment he was diagnosed, Schiaroli immediately became involved with the National MS Society in New York where he lived at the time and has since partnered with the Connecticut Chapter, specifically the MS Taste of Hope event.
Schiaroli is the supply chain manager in Norwalk for Wusthof-Trident Of America, a world-renowned knife maker. The company will be donating knives for cooks to use during the MS Taste of Hope, Fairfield County on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Aitoro in Norwalk. The company will also supply knife sets for the silent auction to be held during the event.
Drawing upon his own personal experience living with MS, Schiaroli will speak to guests about the disease and how he has stabilized his symptoms with a healthy lifestyle in addition to his MS therapies.
“I’ve changed my lifestyle from how I exercise to how I eat and I’ve learned to understand myself and my body,” Schiaroli detailed. “For the past four years, I’ve been stable with my symptoms 99 percent of the time. And when I stray from routine, almost instantly I will feel it.”
Schiaroli also wants to let people know that MS is a life-changing disease but it does not have to be a life-ending disease.
“The biggest thing about MS that I want to share is that it’s unpredictable but it can be livable,” he said. “It’s not always easy and there can be challenges, but there are ways to fight it. Everyone who has MS needs to help each other and give that positive message about what a diagnosis means.”
Schiaroli’s interest mirrors a common hope for many living with MS – to see a cure for the disease in his lifetime. To help in that cause, Schiaroli formed Johnny’s Crew, a fundraising team that takes part in different events in New York and Connecticut to raise money with a 2009 goal of $15,000.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved in the fight against MS in as many ways as possible,” he said. “The MS Taste of Hope has been a great event and I have good friends that have joined Johnny’s Crew to raise more funding.”
More than 6,000 Connecticut residents, like Schiaroli, are affected by multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease affecting the central nervous system. The cause is unknown and, as a result, there is currently no cure for MS. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.
Funds raised by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter, through events, such as MS Taste of Hope, ensure ongoing scientific research to find better treatments and a cure, as well as to provide vital programs and services offered by the chapter to those in the state living with multiple sclerosis.
The 2009 MS Taste of Hope, Fairfield County will take place at Aitoro, 401 Westport Ave., in Norwalk Thursday, Sept. 24, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person in advance and $65 at the door.
For more information about MS Taste of Hope or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Carrie Levitt at 860-913-2550, ext. 332 or clevitt@ctfightsMS.org. To learn more about the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, please visit www.ctfightsMS.org.
7/15/09
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