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 Bryanna McManus as April’s Artist of the Month. Bryanna is from High Springs, FL.
By Stacie Prada
I’m proud to advocate on behalf of multiple sclerosis issues, and I aim to normalize discussing human health experiences without shame. If we live long enough, almost all of us will experience big health issues, and learning from others is a huge help for navigating them.
I’ve participated in Bike MS, Meat Fight, Walk MS, and self-help group leadership. I write openly about my MS experience, I contribute regularly to MSAA’s blog MS Conversations, and I let my community, colleagues, and legislators know that I have MS. I’m happy to answer questions and have spoken to newly diagnosed people and family members quite a few times over the years. If I’m the only person they know with MS and they would like to chat, I’m there for them. They’ll have a unique MS experience, and I want to support them in their journey. I’m eager to encourage kinship, help where I can, and remove any cloak of shame regarding health issues.
Continue readingBy Dr. Eva Jackson
Sherry Lee Mueller once wrote that advocacy is the art of building relationships. In our MS community, advocacy empowers change, strengthens our community, and gives a voice to those who may have been previously voiceless. Those in the MS community consider March their month. The month where we can increase awareness of multiple sclerosis, who it affects, the stigmas linked to the disease, and our search for a cure.
Advocacy takes many forms, ranging from individual efforts to raise awareness to organized campaigns and support groups that strive to influence policy and advance research. At its heart, advocacy is about connecting people with resources, connecting stories to audiences, and connecting needs to solutions. For the MS community, advocacy often means speaking up, not just for oneself, but for others who may not yet have found their voice.
Continue readingBy Angel Blair
It can be a truly powerful thing. Yes, sometimes it’s not easy. It can make you feel uncomfortable, unsure, and anxious. But eventually you find that it is absolutely necessary in order to take care of yourself and to put your needs first. It’s finding your voice and using it when situations call for it. It’s self-advocacy, and it is a crucial part of life. Advocating for yourself is a monumental task and one that elicits various outcomes and feelings. An admirable trait that when executed effectively, can evoke feelings of pride and content.
For individuals living with MS or another chronic illness, self-advocacy becomes a vital part of the disease journey. From diagnosis to treatment and care, speaking up for your needs, expressing concerns, and asking questions are necessary components to ensure quality care. There may come a time where you have to question a provider, seek another opinion, or say no in response to something regarding your health. These aren’t always easy to accomplish. But you’ll find that because you know yourself and your body best, it’s essential to make others understand what your needs are.
To do this you have to use your voice, even when others try to shut you down. Sometimes this can feel like a fight, and saying speak up is easier said than done. But if you don’t, you may end up questioning more things than you’d like and wondering how things could have looked differently. The MS disease course can be so unique to those affected that it requires individual accounts, personal perspective, and self-assertion when needed.
It’s hard not to question or doubt yourself if others protest or show doubt in you. It takes belief and faith and proves to be a job in itself. Having trust in the self-advocacy process is difficult. And though it proves to be a struggle sometimes, it’s worth the fight if it leads to what’s best for you and your care. Ensuring you’re being cared for in the best way possible is the ultimate goal and what you rightfully deserve.
My name is Angel Blair, I am a mom to beautiful twin girls and hold degrees in counseling from schools outside of the Philadelphia area. I’ve worked with the MS community in the past, and am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in helping others. I enjoy spending time with my family, writing, reading, and traveling.
By Samuel Fitch
The idea of self-advocacy is something that becomes incredibly important when you live with multiple sclerosis or care for someone who does. There are many ways to advocate for yourself, in medical decisions, in treatment conversations, and in daily life. One area that often gets overlooked, however, is how we advocate for our time.
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For more than 15 years, MSAA has celebrated the artistic talents of the MS community in our digital Art Showcase. This year – for the second year in a row – we are excited to launch MSAA’s largest Showcase to date!
Featuring 94 artists and more than 250 wonderful pieces of artwork, MSAA’s 2026-2027 Art Showcase highlights the inspiring stories of individuals with multiple sclerosis from across the country. We highly encourage you to view this one-of-a-kind Showcase by visiting MSAA’s 2026-2027 Art Showcase webpage.
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 Leidy Burgos of Philadelphia, PA as March’s Artist of the Month.
MSAA proudly recognizes March as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month and is pleased to present the MS community with helpful and encouraging resources and programs throughout the month.
Our MS Awareness Month theme in 2026 – Your MS, Your Voice: The Power of Self-Advocacy – focuses on what advocating for oneself really looks like in everyday life. Throughout March, explore self-advocacy from both the clinician and lived-experience perspective as we share practical tools to help the MS community. Please join us for the following free MS Awareness Month activities:
Continue readingFeaturing Barry A. Hendin, MD
MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer
Question: What types of visual disorders may be caused by MS, and are any types of visual issues not typically associated with MS?
Answer: Visual signs and symptoms are common in multiple sclerosis and ultimately affect the majority of people with MS at some time in their lives. Problems occur when there is demyelination of the optic nerve or the brain stem centers that control eye movements.
Continue readingBy Dr. Eva Jackson
For many years, my health declined, and I found myself searching desperately for answers. I reached out to my healthcare team, at times pleading for their help to uncover what was causing my condition to worsen. Initially, I was diagnosed with dystonia, not multiple sclerosis (MS). As I sought second opinions, it became clear to me that many people struggle to advocate for themselves within the healthcare system. I also realized that healthcare professionals may feel threatened when patients seek external advice or opinions.
Continue readingBy Stacie Prada
Lately, I’ve been pausing periodically throughout each day to ask myself, “How do I want to show up today?”
It only takes a moment, just enough time for a brief inhale and exhale. It allows me to shake loose whatever thoughts are running through my mind and start fresh. I like to imagine I’m shaking a marked-up Etch-A-Sketch toy to create a clean surface ready for whatever I want to draw.
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