Friends United Against M.S.

As much as I spend most of my time watching television and "jet setting" all over to all my vacations, I do have one cause near and dear to my heart. My friends and I are planning our 3rd Annual MS Benefit. As much time as it takes to plan, and as frustrated as we may get, it's so important to us, we seem to forget the difficulties. Right now we are in the process of becoming Non-For-Profit--which is no easy task. We finally have a name (it may seem so simple, but honestly, it took us HOURS to come up with it), and a website.
All I ask is that you read Allison's Story and check out our website (www.friendsunitedagainstms.org). If anyone out there (and I know millions of you read my blog) would like more information or know of someone suffering from MS, please let us know. We want to help.

Friends United Against MS

How it all began…

In August of 2003, one friend, Allison, realized that something was terribly wrong. Allison’s left arm was not working right, her vision was blurry, and she was constantly exhausted. When it got to the point where Allison couldn’t tie her shoes or wash her hair, she finally went to the doctor and was admitted to the hospital. After two days, 14 blood tests, a lumbar puncture, CT scans, MRI’s and EKG’s, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
This diagnosis changed her life entirely. Even though the original problems subsided with medications and steroids, she had to deal with daily shots, chronic fatigue, and uncertainty of what the future would bring. Allison, who was 23 at the time of her diagnosis, turned to her friends and family to help her get through this unstable time. They provided one constant in a world that had turned upside down.
Chronic disease or not, these friends still liked to have fun. One evening, while sharing a pint at the local Irish pub, one friend got the idea to have a party that would also raise money to fight Multiple Sclerosis. The friends all loved the idea (well, Allison was skeptical, but that’s in her nature…) and immediately began planning the event.
They found a location for the event that would let them put on the fundraiser for free, even providing a band. The women scattered all over the area gathering items for a silent auction, selling tickets to everyone they knew. That first year they raised $2,600 and had a blast in the process.
The fundraiser was so much fun, in fact, that they decided to do it every year. It was pretty much the only way they got ‘girl time’ anymore, so even the planning meetings were great fun. The second year they raised $6,000. The goal for this, their third year, is to raise $10,000.
There were, of course, times when everyone was exhausted and frustrated and just didn’t feel like dealing with it, but keeping the bigger picture in mind, they kept going. By this time, the women had realized this wasn’t just about throwing a party. So many people had approached these women saying, “I have M.S.—thank you for doing this.” They had realized it was about community. Multiple Sclerosis doesn’t just affect one person—it touches the lives of everyone they love and everyone that loves them.
In 2006, the friends decided to form a non-profit organization to raise awareness, raise money, and offer support and hope. They chose the magnolia tree as their symbol, representing the individual with MS as the trunk, their family as the roots, and their friends as the branches, leaves, and flowers. Someday there will be a cure. But in the meantime, no one ever has to face MS alone.

This is our story.

Allison, Becky, Kelly, Leslie, and Rachele

For more information about our organization, or to pledge a donation for our fall benefit on November 4, 2006, please call: 618.806.6069 or email: kmeyer1228@hotmail.com. Thank you for your support.