Jan 05, 2009
Maryland Chapter Experiences Record Growth in Requests for Assistance
NATIONAL MS SOCIETY-MARYLAND CHAPTER EXPERIENCES RECORD GROWTH IN REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE
Owings Mills, MD,- The Maryland Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society has increased financial assistance to people living with MS by over 60% in the past three months compared to the same period of the year. Applications to the Chapter's Financial Assistance program have doubled due to the current economic climate. This assistance helps members with emergency mortgage and utility payments, medical equipment, transportation and more.
“Having to deal with a chronic illness is taxing in and of itself but limited financial resources can compound the problem even more” said Mark Roeder, Chapter President. “In these challenging economic times, some people with MS are being forced to choose between meeting the basic needs for daily living and medical care. At the same time, year-end donations were down significantly for the final quarter of 2008, which makes it even more challenging for us to meet the increasing need.”
Donations are needed now more than ever to continue to provide the assistance that is so crucial to many. Make a donation today online at www.nmss-md.org or by calling 1-800-FIGHT-MS. In addition, registration is now open for Walk MS and the Chesapeake Challenge. More information about how to register and make donations to these key events is available online.
The National MS Society, Maryland Chapter raises funds to support vital MS research that will further treatment and move us closer to a cure. In addition, the Chapter provides programs and services to more than 6,500 people living with MS throughout the State, and advocates on priority issues on behalf of the MS community. The Maryland Chapter also provides funding in support of clinical services to the John Hopkins MS Center and to the University of Maryland Center for MS.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.5 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn't. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Each year, through our home office and 50 state network of chapters, we devote nearly $130 million to programs that enhance more than one million lives to move us closer to a world free of MS. In 2008 alone, the Society also invested more than $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement at nationalmssociety.org.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at www.nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-FIGHT-MS (344-4867).
Shirley Lozano-Nelson
National MS Society Maryland Chapter
Phone: 443-641-1219
Fax: 443-641-1201
shirley.lozano-nelson@nmss.org