Another reason to walk

This afternoon I sent an outlook meeting invitation to the DC Regional team of Teach For America, as well as my colleagues next door on the DC National team of Teach For America.  I didn't expect any responses to this email other than simple accepts or declines of the invitation, and I was floored when I received a response from a colleague in Chicago who I have never met.  Jamie had received my invitation on behalf of one of our coworkers next door and took the time to email me back:

From: ------, Jamie
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 6:14 PM
To: Wolf, Sarah
Subject: FW: Friends of Stacie Nelson
Importance: Low

Hi Sarah,

I just received your invite on behalf of Rex Varner for the MS Happy Hour you are hosting.  Ironic, the timing of your invite came the same day I forwarded the below request to my Chicago friends asking to help a family currently battling MS.  After I read “why you walk” I wanted to share with you a website I created to help the family below, since it seems like you use stories of others to help motivate you for all that you do.  You really are an inspiration!  Kudos to you!  If you have a direct donation page, I would like to donate to your walk, since I cannot attend the happy hour (I live in Chicago).

You go girl!  J

Jamie

---

From: --------, Jamie
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 2:02 PM
To:
Subject: Friends of Stacie Nelson
Importance: Low

Hello Friends,

I am writing to request a few minutes of your time to click on the below website, and kindly extend any help you can to the family of Stacie Nelson who is a young mother of two boys, has been battling MS for 20 years, and is now losing that battle and requires around-the-clock care at a nursing facility.  By way of background, this family is very involved in their community and always go out of their way to help others in need.  Now it is time where they are in need of the help that they usually give.  Please help this family in whatever way you can!

http://friendsofstacienelson.weebly.com/   

Thank you so very much!!!

Jamie --------

 After reading Jamie's email, I couldn't help but visit the website mentioned.  And I am so glad I did.  Once again, I have found a new reason to walk, a new reason to raise funds, and a new reason to redouble my efforts to ensure that one day there will be a cure for MS.  Stacie Nelson has been diagnosed with MS for almost 20 years, and in the last year, her medications caused her to come down with an infection.  This infection has led to Progressive Multifocal Luekoencephalopathy (PML) and has forced her to live in a nursing home to receive 24 hour care.  Her family, including her two children, is paying for her care out of pocket, without help from insurance.  No one should be forced to live in a situation where their medications make them sicker and insurance doesn't offset the cost.

I walk so that, one day, the treatments won't be worse than the disease.  I walk so that, one day, children won't have to watch their parents struggle to live independently.  I walk so that, one day, no one will hear the words "you have MS."