CHESHIRE, Conn. – While it’s not overly unusual for a teenager to help out with laundry, washing dishes or mowing the lawn, helping a parent get dressed and combing their hair is. But, for Cheshire’s Olivia Perreault, that’s exactly what she does every day.
“My mom has multiple sclerosis, and because of that she not only has issues with walking, but a lot of the daily functions most people won’t think twice about are very hard for her to perform,” said Perreault. “Walking is something so ordinary that it’s rare to not take it for granted – that is, until a fall, a disease, a lesion in the brain sent my mother crashing to the floor.”
More than 6,500 Connecticut residents, like Perreault’s mother, live with multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease. The cause is unknown and there is currently no cure. Symptoms can include numbness in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness, loss of mobility and, in some more severe cases, total paralysis.
“My mother doesn’t just have the most common form of MS,” she continued. “Her disease has worsened to a secondary-progressive form. She still fights every day to continue her career as a teacher, but even with a motorized wheelchair, it is hard for her to navigate her classroom.”
Secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) follows after the relapsing-remitting disease course. Of the 85 percent of people who are initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, most will eventually transition to SPMS, which means that after a period of time in which they experience relapses and remissions, the disease will begin to progress more steadily, with or without any relapses.
As a child of a Connecticut resident living with MS, Perreault was eligible to apply for a National MS Society college scholarship, and was awarded one by the Connecticut chapter this year. A recipient of the Chapter’s Michael and Nancy Cummings Scholarship, Perreault, a graduate of Cheshire High School, will start her junior year at the University of Rhode Island this fall, where she is currently studying journalism.
“My favorite part of reading a book is closing it once I’ve finished, and pausing to think about the story in its entirety,” shared Perreault, noting that she always knew she’d become a writer someday. “It’s my dream to share my thoughts in print, and allow readers to experience a new world the same way my favorite books did for me.”
Perreault was recognized by the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, at its annual Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Scholarship Reception, which was held at the Country Club of Farmington, Thursday, June 4. She is one of 30 students receiving a 2015 scholarship from the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter.
Information for the 2016-17 school year scholarships will be available on the National MS Society website on October 1st. For more information on MS or for additional information on 2015 MS scholarship criteria, please contact the Connecticut Chapter at 860.913.2550 or visit www.ctfightsMS.org.
Program Continues To Grow Across the Country
The National MS Society established its scholarship program for students who have MS or a parent living with MS 12 years ago, and it immediately became a source of great encouragement for families concerned that MS might put college out of reach. This year, more than $1.2 million in awards were presented to over 800 new and renewal recipients nationwide. Applications are evaluated on financial need, academic record, leadership and volunteer activities, a statement of educational and career goals, and letters of recommendation. Applicants are also asked to provide a personal statement describing the impact MS has had on their life. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $3,000 and recipients are eligible to reapply each year to be considered for a future award. The program is competitive and awards are not guaranteed.
“For the Perreault family and others affected by MS across the country, there are very few known sources of scholarship assistance specially targeted for these families,” said Lisa Gerrol, Connecticut Chapter president and CEO. “MS shouldn’t stand in the way of an education, and we are hopeful this program will give families some relief.”
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide. It is the number one disabling neurological disease in young to middle-aged adults.
About the National MS Society
The Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. To move us closer to creating a world free of MS, last year alone, the Society invested $50.2 million to support more than 380 new and ongoing research projects around the world while providing programs and services to over one million people. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.