About Emily

I'm the Manager of Community Engagement at the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA). I am a longtime MS advocate, college football enthusiast, and a lover of 90’s sitcoms.

Making the Most Is Not Doing the Most

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Emily

The holidays can be a busy and stressful time for most of us. The list includes holiday parties, hosting guests, shopping, gift wrapping, traveling, and cooking. Especially when you have young children, you’re expected to deliver the magic of Christmas with every chance you get. Through my journey living with MS, since I was a young adult, I have learned that doing the most during the holidays is not making the most of the holidays. I have since limited my holiday commitments and traveling to a minimum. This does not mean that I don’t enjoy and love the season; instead, it means I make it manageable, which makes it all the more enjoyable for me.

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Steven Kaiser – November 2023 Artist of the Month

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Emily

MSAA features the work of many talented artists affected by multiple sclerosis as part of our annual MSAA Art Showcase. Each month we share these artists’ inspiring stories and beautiful artwork with you as our Artist of the Month. This month, we celebrate Steven Kaiser as the November Artist of the Month. Steven is from Greensboro, NC.

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My Unspoken Strength

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Emily

The lessons that living with MS has taught me are abundant. I have lived with this disease since I was in my very early 20s. Some of the most pivotal years of a young person’s life. I had big dreams of being a sports reporter. I did seven internships throughout my college career at Penn State University. The truth was, I was just downright hungry and would do whatever it took to be able to say, “I made it.”

My last year of college was a pretty exciting time for me. I had just finished an internship with the B1G Ten Network. The show I helped produce won an Emmy Award, and I had just landed a new gig straight out of college for an ABC affiliate in Harrisburg, PA. I was about to take on the biggest news story living in the sports and news world at that moment. Penn State was amidst a horrible scandal that rocked the nation. I was assigned to cover the courtroom news for this story. I spent eight weeks living in a trailer parked in a Walmart parking lot close to the courthouse. I was doing live shots next to CNN, Fox, ABC, and ESPN. I was on top of the world, or so I thought…

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AnnaMarie Prono – October 2023 Artist of the Month

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Emily

MSAA features the work of many talented artists affected by multiple sclerosis as part of our annual MSAA Art Showcase. We share these artists’ inspiring stories and beautiful artwork with you each month as our Artist of the Month. We celebrate AnnaMarie Prono as the October Artist of the Month this month. AnnaMarie is from Forest Hills, NY.

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Back to the Grind

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Emily

Going back to school is filled with excitement, and possibly fear. Depending on what grade or level of schooling you’re about to enter. I know the feelings of starting a new school year but have not yet experienced it from a parent’s perspective, until now. And boy, is it tough.

As I pack up my little girl to go to her first day of daycare, I can’t help but think to myself how is she going to feel without me? Will she think I abandoned her? Will she know that I am coming back? I know every parent has a feeling of extreme guilt when dropping their child off at a place that is unknown and possibly scary to them, even if it is in their best interest. Here are a couple things I did to calm myself down, stay present, keep my thoughts organized, and most importantly STAY POSITIVE.

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It’s Time

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Emily

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 11:27 AM on a Saturday morning. I asked my Husband if he wanted to have a bagel for breakfast. I opened my mouth, and the words would not come out as much as I tried. It was one big stutter. Oddly enough, I did not think much of it. Looking back now, that was a not-so-smart thing to do on my part. I went on with my day as per usual. I went to the grocery store, and when I went to the cashier to check out, I reached for my wallet, and I could not grip it. I was so embarrassed as change spilled all over the floor. I had experienced this before when I was first diagnosed, but it was on the right side of my body, not on the left. I managed to get out of the store and into my car loading up a small number of groceries that I had with just the right side of my body.

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It’s Cool to Be Cool

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Emily

The summer months are chock-full of fun activities, and most of these activities are outside. For those living with MS, being outdoors for an extended period of time can be taxing on both the body and mind. I have a list of things that I do in the summer months to stay calm, COOL, and collected when being outdoors, so I too can enjoy these fun activities with everyone else.

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Hope Angel – June 2023 Artist of the Month

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Emily

MSAA features the work of many talented artists affected by multiple sclerosis as part of our annual MSAA Art Showcase. Each month we share these artists’ inspiring stories and beautiful artwork with you as our Artist of the Month. This month, we celebrate Hope Angel as the June Artist of the Month. Hope is from Seattle, WA.

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A Life in Full Bloom

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Emily

I sat down to write this blog entry on a beautiful spring evening on my back patio. My daughter is soundly asleep, my husband and I ate a fantastic dinner and shared our favorite bottle of wine. My heart (and belly) was so full. A couple hours earlier, my husband, daughter and I took a stroll down to a local Italian bakery where every Sunday we buy fresh pasta and a few cannoli. As we were taking our walk downtown, I smelled the flowers blooming, and I thought to myself “these are the times I have always waited for.” My mind was calm, my body was able to move, and my heart was full.

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Little Miss MS Mama

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Emily

It was the longest three minutes of my entire life. Tik, tok, tik, tok. I looked at the timer on my phone like I couldn’t peel my eyes off it. My nerves were an all-time high, as I took a deep breath and looked over at the nightstand where the pregnancy test lies. I saw the words “pregnant” on the stick. I have never felt so much joy and excitement while being downright terrified at the same time. I immediately called my husband and told him the news. In all fairness, he told me to wait until he was home from a business trip in California, but I had to take the test that day. We were both ecstatic.

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