- Walk MS Tallahassee also added a bicycle/cyclist component for the 2025 event.
- Kim Bowman and her daughter Jessica say more awareness is crucial, especially in Tallahassee.
- Watch the video above to hear from neighbors with MS.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Working to get closer to finding a cure for something impacting many neighbors where we live.
“A lot more people are being diagnosed.”
I’m Terry Gilliam your Southwest Tallahassee neighborhood reporter... With a look at the work that's being done to help people living with multiple sclerosis.
"I'm tired all the time. Hopefully, I get no relapses, those are the worst."
Kim Bowman is a Tallahassee neighbor. She's describing what's called an invisible disease that's she has, along with many others in the capital city.
MS is a disease of the central nervous system. Causing what the MS Society calls a disruption between the brain and the body.
Data from the national MS Society shows that more than 20,000 people with MS live in the state
It's one of the reasons neighbors in Tallahassee are working together to put on a walk to raise money and awareness.
Walk MS Ambassador, Natasha Acoff talked to me about living with the condition and the importance of this community effort.
"I cried and cried and cried the day I was diagnosed. Now, I've been diagnosed for 11 years, it's something that I learned to lift with and something that I can live with. It's just majorly shocking because there's not enough awareness; people just don't know."
Acoff says healthcare access in our area can be difficult. The National MS Society says the median cost for brand-name disease-modifying therapy can be upwards of $92,000 a year.
I asked Acoff what else can the community do for the effort.
"There's always fundraising. The MS Society: all the funds that are being raised right now are going towards research for a cure."
"Hopefully somebody finds a cure for this horrible disease."
The walk is planned for March 15th. Walk MS Tallahassee says their next step is to try and get community partnerships with healthcare providers and universities to help continue spreading awareness. In Southwest Tallahassee, Terry Gilliam, ABC27.
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