MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of Freeholders have declared this week, of March 7-13, as MS Awareness Week in Morris County, encouraging all county residents to learn about Multiple Sclerosis and to find out what they can do to support individuals who have MS, and to also support their families.
The freeholders awarded a proclamation for MS Awareness Week to Roseanne Dawer, who has MS, and her husband Ira Dawer of Montville, who are both members of the New Jersey Metro Chapter of the MS Society. Freeholder Director Kathy DeFillippo, a trustee of the N.J. Metro Chapter and the founder and organizer of the annual MS Walk in Roxbury, also was present for the award at the freeholders’ meeting today in Morristown.
“Multiple Sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. It disrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body,’’ said Deputy Freeholder Director Hank Lyon.
“During MS Awareness Week, efforts are being made across the county and state to ensure the public is aware of issues affecting those with MS, and to be sure that everyone affected by MS has a platform to be heard and to share their stories and concerns,’’ Freeholder Lyon added.
Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disease of the central nervous system, affecting at least 2.3 million people worldwide, including some 14,000 people in Morris County. The disease generally strikes people in the prime of life and causes unpredictable effects in which the progression, severity and symptoms cannot be foreseen. The cause and cure for this debilitating disease remain unknown.
Since 1946 the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has been a driving force of MS research, pursuing prevention, treatment and a cure, and has invested more than $920 million dollars in groundbreaking research. These funds fuel the efforts of more than 380 research projects globally at the best medical centers, universities and other institutions throughout the United States and abroad.
Roseanne Dawer, who runs MS support groups in Montville and Livingston, spoke to the freeholders this morning. She urged the public to become more aware of the disease, to help friends and neighbors who might suffer with MS, and to become active in MS organizations and fundraising. Dawer, who runs two MS support groups, one in Montville and one at Barnabas Health in Livingston, cautioned that MS is a disease that can strike anyone without warning.
For a wealth of information on MS, including symptoms, treatments, research and support, click here.
MS Walks in New Jersey are scheduled for the weekend of April 16 and 17. There are 15 walks scheduled across the state, including the April 17 MS Walk in Roxbury. For information and to register click here.
