Don’t Miss MSAA’s Art Showcase Deadline!

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Diana Cruz

Every year, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) highlights the artistic talents of the MS community in our digital Art Showcase. We have received many wonderful submissions from individuals with MS across the country and are delighted to invite the community to participate once again in MSAA’s 2025-2026 Art Showcase.

Now until January 10, 2025, individuals with MS are encouraged to submit up to three works of visual art along with their personal stories to be highlighted in MSAA’s 2025-2026 Art Showcase. We welcome various types of art including paintings, drawings, photography, and more. To participate, please visit MSAA’s Call for Submissions webpage, or email us at showcase@mymsaa.org.

Eligibility:

To enter, you must have a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and provide a doctor’s verification of your diagnosis. Please note that if you are a returning artist for MSAA’s Art Showcase, you can disregard this step.
Participants must be 18 years of age or older as of the date of entry and must be legal residents of the United States.
All entrants must submit a signed Release Form. This can be completed online or printed and emailed to showcase@mymsaa.org.

Please be sure to read through all Art Showcase rules and release form requirements prior to submitting your work.

Eligible submissions will be featured on MSAA’s website beginning in March 2025 in recognition of MS Awareness Month. Throughout the year, 12 artists and their work will be highlighted as Artists of the Month. To view submissions from previous Art Showcases, please visit our online gallery.

MSAA’s 2024-2025 Art Showcase recently won a Silver Digital Health Award! To learn more about this accomplishment, please read MSAA’s Latest News article.

MS and Sensory Overload

Posted on December 9, 2024 by MultipleSclerosis.net

One overlooked symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) is sensory overload. Noise, lights, and crowds cause panic and lead to feeling overwhelmed. Many with MS do not realize sensory overload is a symptom. It feels confusing when it first happens.

MultipleSclerosis.net published an article about sensory overload that resonated with many readers. The insights and responses from the community are worth sharing!

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A Global Day of Giving: Today is Giving Tuesday!

Posted on December 3, 2024 by MSAA

Today, Tuesday, December 3^rd, MSAA honors Giving Tuesday – a global initiative that promotes generosity and community engagement for nonprofits and charitable organizations. Days like today are critical for MSAA, as they promote support of our organization so that we may continue to provide free programs and services to the MS community.

During this busy time of year, members of the MS community need MSAA’s help more than ever – from assistive equipment for safety and mobility, to support and resources through MSAA’s Helpline specialists. In addition, MSAA’s educational programs, publications, webinars, videos, and podcasts provide a great deal of information on a wide range of topics, from symptoms and treatments, to physical and emotional wellness, and so much more. Our mission of Improving Lives Today is ongoing, and it is made possible due to the generosity of our donors.

Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to make a meaningful donation to MSAA. Your gift truly helps to support those affected by MS. If you would like to make a donation today, please visit mymsaa.org/donate. We greatly appreciate your support!

Morning Pain and MS

Posted on November 4, 2024 by MultipleSclerosis.net

Navigating pain is a consistent challenge with multiple sclerosis (MS). Nights are often not restful. Many with MS wake in pain. It is challenging to move first thing in the morning.

MultipleSclerosis.net members recently engaged in a discussion about morning pain. Here are some of the insights they shared.

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Fall Into Self Expression

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Diana Cruz

The change in season can bring about so many wonderful things, like the feeling of a fresh start, new experiences, and the opportunity to partake in certain activities that only occur during certain parts of the year – like pumpkin picking, haunted hayrides, and attending fall festivals. Although I am a big fan of season change and participating in its many exciting aspects, I can also fall into the feeling of decreased energy or motivation, under or over stimulation around the holidays, and fatigue from lack of sunlight or shorter days. When feelings like this arise, I find comfort in activities that allow me to express myself in new and creative ways. Here are some fall and winter activities that bring me joy that I encourage others to try!

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Shared Experiences: Things Only Someone With MS Would Understand

Posted on October 7, 2024 by MultipleSclerosis.net

Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) can feel lonely. It is hard for others to understand the spectrum of MS symptoms. Fortunately, there are communities to connect with others navigating MS! It makes the journey feel less isolating.

MultipleSclerosis.net recently posted the following:

“Fill in the blank: ______ is something that only someone with multiple sclerosis would understand.”

This question clearly resonated, as there were over 350 responses! Among the comments, some common themes emerged.

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Team MSAA and runDisney Participant Highlight: Ashlei Brown

Posted on September 9, 2024 by Dana Carney

Four years ago, Ashlei Brown ran her first endurance event as part of Team MSAA. The view was about as good as it could get – EPCOT.

In July, Ashlei shared her struggles with a severe MS flare that she experienced in 2020.

“2020 I was in the biggest episode of my life, hardly able to walk. I was stressed about moving my family across state lines from Florida to Tennessee into unfamiliar territory with no extended family to lean on… in the middle of COVID. My MS is completely under control now, thanks to the amazing people at @VUMChealth.

I think it’s time to run again for @MSassociation”

We wanted to hear more about Ashlei’s journey with Team MSAA, and what inspired her to run again at Disney.

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Embracing The Vacation

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Teena Palathanam

Travelling with MS can be overwhelming, especially if you are travelling to a new destination. Not knowing where the restrooms are or having a place to relax when your legs give way can cause a lot of anxiety for individuals with MS. The unpredictability that comes with MS adds to the stress. Although unexpected hiccups can happen to anyone, planning your itinerary ahead of time will eliminate a great deal of anxiety. Below are some tips to keep in mind when you are planning for a vacation:

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How MS Messes with Speech

Posted on August 19, 2024 by MultipleSclerosis.net

One frustrating symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) is the cognitive impact. Those of us with MS often struggle with memory, recall, and speech. When words vanish, we get creative in communicating!

MultipleSclerosis.net posted the following prompt to the community:

“MS can mess with our word recall and speech function, making remembering the names of people, places, and things difficult. If only there was 1 word for it all. We want to know, what would your word be? Example: ‘Can you please hand me the _____ over there?’ Philadelphia natives might throw the word ‘jawn’ in there!”

There was a lot of engagement with this topic!

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Team MSAA and runDisney Participant Highlight: Tiffany McCahill

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Dana Carney

Completing a 10k endurance event last year wasn’t enough for Team MSAA participant Tiffany McCahill. She’s doing it again, but this time raising the bar and taking on the half marathon!

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