Jul 31, 2012
Morganville, NJ– Morganville resident Shana Mecchi is determined to overcome multiple sclerosis by participating in MuckRuckus MS on Saturday, August 18. Shana, who is living with the disease is ready to slip and slid through the mucky 5-mile obstacle course in pursuit of a world free of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)at Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation in West Orange NJ.
This will be the first time that Shana has taken on a running challenge and is excited and nervous for the event all at once. “My personal goal is to raise $1000 in support of programs and services for those affected by MS and to basically just finish without dying!” says Shana jokingly. MuckRuckus MS is the only event of its kind where all of the proceeds go to charity. The emphasis is on fun however the competitive division will challenge the most experienced athlete and the fun loving adventure seeker.
Shana was diagnosed with relapsing/remitting MS in May of 2011, but her symptoms went undiagnosed as far back as 2008. Shana was experiencing numbness in her extremities and went immediately for an MRIs and blood work. She was told that she could possibly have MS but she definitely had had a Vitamin B12 deficiency. As soon as she started injections of Vitamin B12 her symptoms went away and MS was never mentioned again.
In September 2010 she had a beautiful baby boy and two months later she went numb on the left side of her body. In April she was hospitalized with optic neuritis, and was then diagnosed with MS.
Shana manages her disease by taking a disease modifying medication three times a week. “I am still capable of living my life how I used to, with a more caution to things like the sun and heat,” says Shana. “My husband is a huge part of my positivity. He is always encouraging me and telling me I can do certain things, like the MuckRuckus run.”
On Saturday, August 18, 2012 Shana, her husband, and her team of family and friends will jump in and get dirty to help create a world free of MS in MuckRuckus MS Northeast. Her team Shana’s Sharks is working toward raising $4,000 for this year’s event. For more information about or to register for MuckRuckus MS Northeast logon to www.MuckRuckusMS.org/Northeast.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from reduced or lost mobility to numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men having the disease. MS affects, 400,000 people in the U.S., and over 2 million worldwide
About the National MS Society
The National MS Society is a collective of passionate individuals who want to do something about MS now—to move together toward a world free of multiple sclerosis. MS stops people from moving. We exist to make sure it doesn't. We mobilize people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS through our 50-state network of chapters. The Society helps people affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, and providing programs and services that help people with MS and their families move their lives forward.
###