May 28, 2009
MS Advocacy Day Scheduled for May 27 at the NC Capitol
Local Activists Organize to Improve Wellbeing of Those Living with Multiple Sclerosis
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 27, 2009) – The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s North Carolina Chapters will host their annual MS Advocacy Day on Wednesday, May 27 at the NC Capitol. Local activists have the opportunity to join the movement virtually or in person. MS Advocacy Day is being held in conjunction with World MS Day. It is an opportunity for MS activists to show their appreciation to NC legislators and talk with them about issues affecting people with multiple sclerosis.
“We are excited to see the community pull together to provide support for the over 10,000 individuals living with multiple sclerosis in North Carolina,” says Abby Carter Emanuelson, director of public policy. “We encourage North Carolina residents to help shape the policies and programs that impact people living with multiple sclerosis.”
For many people living with MS, the disease is just one challenge. Activists work together to break down barriers to care, improve access to quality health services, and make MS therapies more affordable. They pursue funding for more MS research and fight for disability rights.
Thousands of people are getting involved as MS activists. Many are individuals who live with MS. Some are friends and family members. And many simply recognize their passion and ability to make a difference.
Advocacy is a vital part of the Society’s mission to create a world free of MS. Advocacy is actively supporting the public policy issues and programs that influence the well-being of people living with MS. Volunteer advocates become activists when they intentionally take action to bring about social or political change. The National MS Society urges its volunteers to be activists, and work to help interested individuals take action on issues at the local, state and federal level.
To learn more about MS activism or to register for MS Advocacy Day, visit www.nationalMSsociety.org/nct call 1-800 FIGHT MS.
About Multiple Sclerosis:
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and 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 approximately 500,000 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. The Eastern North Carolina Chapter, located in Raleigh, serves the over 4,600 individuals affected by MS in our 49-county area. 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 approximately $125 million to programs and services that enhance more than one million lives to move us closer to a world free of MS. In 2007, the Society invested more than $46 million to support 440 research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. If you or someone you know has MS, please contact the National MS Society today at www.nationalMSsociety.org/nct or 1-800 FIGHT MS to learn about ways to help manage multiple sclerosis and about current research that may one day reveal a cure.
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