MITCH STURGEON
Author and Blogger Living With MS
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I would never say that someone has only a little multiple sclerosis. It’s a horrible disease in all its manifestations. But I’m quite comfortable in saying that a few of us have a whole lot of MS.
The most severe types of MS have not been thoroughly studied because they occur less often, and they have proven more difficult to understand. That’s frustrating, but it’s beginning to change.
CASA-MS, which stands for Comprehensive Assessment of Severely Affected Multiple Sclerosis, will help unravel the mysteries of severe MS.
The Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, BNAC, is a world-class MS research center. They espouse a philosophy of patient-centered research, exemplified by their Patient Advisory Council, of which I am a member.
Well before my time on the Patient Advisory Council — I can’t take any of the credit — members proposed the idea for CASA-MS. BNAC saw the value of the idea and commissioned the study.
As with any proper study of this type, there are two cohorts. The first is comprised of MS patients who don’t have the most severe form of the disease. They are the control group.
The other cohort is comprised of MS patients who live at a twenty-four hour care facility called the Boston Home, all of whom have a whole lot of MS. They are the study group.
BNAC, being a nonprofit organization, must fund studies like this through grants and donations. The Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases has committed to matching up to $100,000 of donations toward the study. A group of us formed what we call Annette’s 100, where 100 individuals will each pledge to raise $1000 by the end of 2022, to be matched dollar for dollar by The Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders.
If you want to support those people who suffer the worst from MS, help me reach my goal of raising $1000 by the end of 2022. Click here to visit my donation page.
Or, if you are willing to make a bigger commitment, become one of Annette’s 100, and pledge to generate $1000 of donations by the end of the year. Contact me for more information: email@mitchsturgeon.com
Thank you so much for any amount you can donate!
One Reply to “CASA-MS: Something for Those of Us With a Lot of MS”
Thanks, Mitch, for letting your followers know about the study and how they can help. Gifts at all levels are important and, thanks to a challenge grant from the Annette Funicello Fund, donations made now will be DOUBLED! Let’s see how your followers can move your fundraising thermometer upwards! Linda Safran, CASA-MS Campaign Director
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