National MS group opens new office in Cape Girardeau

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Gateway Area Chapter has opened a new regional office at 1217 N. Kingshighway, Suite 116, Cape Girardeau. The office, which officially opened June 1, serves 11 counties in Illinois and 10 counties in Missouri.

Teresa Birk, regional programs manager of the Cape office and lifetime resident of Jackson, said, "I'm very excited to be able to help directly serve clients in this area. It's a treat for me to give something back to the community that I've lived in my entire life and that has given so much to me and my family."

The chapter's service programs include self-help groups; a Helpline for referral services; MS yoga and aquatics classes; financial assistance for medical equipment; transportation and physical therapy assessments; educational programming and more.

The mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is to end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. Through the delivery of programs and services to people with MS and their families and through the support of research into the cause and cure of MS, that mission is achieved. Activities are made possible through private grants, sponsorships and fund-raising campaigns.

Unpredictable symptoms

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Its unpredictable symptoms can range from fatigue to numbness in the limbs to more severe conditions such as loss of vision or paralysis, all of which come and go without warning or pattern. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50; however, the physical and emotional effects are lifelong. The progress and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be determined, but advances in research and treatment are giving hope to those affected by the disease. More than 200 people are diagnosed with MS weekly, which averages out to at least one every hour.

The next MS self-help group will meet at 10 a.m. July 19 at St. Francis Medical Center, Healing Arts Building, Cape Girardeau. For more information, call Fran Sauer at 331-5368.

For more information, contact Teresa Birk at (800) FIGHT MS or e-mail teresa.birk@mos.nmss.org.