Regional News

Northeast Region
As the warm weather approaches and we venture outside to enjoy the fresh air, the staff at the Northeast Regional Office encourages everyone to take time to expand the circle of caring in our world by having a healing conversation with someone in need. Together, we may create and learn a new way to lend an ear or extend a hand.

Many regional events such as client and public awareness workshops and support groups are winding down as the summer months approach. Much of the Northeast’s summer months are spent planning our calendar of events for the fall and working on the Sweeten the Season 2003 campaign.

The Northeast office recently presented a plaque to the William Mennie School’s Fine Arts Club in New Jersey for raising $1,250 for the 2002 Sweeten the Season campaign. School participation will be our region’s fundraising target in 2003. Funds raised from the 2002 campaign will be used to expand regional therapeutic services. A seated, strength-training exercise class is offered in the South Jersey area along with an aquatics class in the Stamford, Connecticut area. The Northeast is targeting the New York area to establish an additional therapeutic program within the region for 2003-2004.

The snow-filled winter in the northeast proved to be no challenge for our regional activities, and we were still able to offer and participate in a number of winter and spring events which included:

• Many educational workshops
• An MS Awareness Conference in Stamford, Connecticut
• Attendance at the Annual Women’s Health Conference held in New Jersey
• An MS Awareness Conference in Egg Harbor, New Jersey
• Workshops presented by Teva Neuroscience (makers of Copaxone®), held in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; featuring Dr. Omar Kahn, M.D., Director of Wayne State University MS Research Center
• An educational workshop sponsored by Serono (makers of Rebif®)

The staff at the Northeast Region is especially excited with the positive response we have received from individuals with multiple sclerosis volunteering to start up new support groups. Many new groups have been established in the following locations: Easton, Philadelphia, and Susquehanna, Pennsylvania; New York City and Seaford, New York; and a specialized “men with MS” group in Berlin, New Jersey.

Helene and I extend our sincere thanks to the new support group facilitators and to the many long established groups who have dedicated time to assist others living with multiple sclerosis. We invite you to join our team and become a support group leader in your area, become a volunteer for our 2003 Sweeten the Season campaign, volunteer for the upcoming Northeast Region’s pilot Household Help program, or volunteer to become a Pathways for Independence assessor.

We would like to extend our warm wishes of good health, healing conversations, and a safe summer!

MSAA Northeast Regional Office:
Susan Freund, Director
706 Haddonfield Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
(800) 532-7667, ext.106MSAA Connecticut Field Office
Marva Llewellyn
Client Services Coordinator
72 Spruce Street, Apt 4-E
Stamford, CT 06902(203) 921-2682(800) 532-7667, ext. 151

Midwest Region
MSAA’s Midwest Regional Office is busy this spring presenting informational seminars throughout the region. While most have taken place prior to the mailing of this publication, you can still sign up for the MSAA MS Awareness Conference taking place on June 21st at the Sheraton Four Points in Independence, Ohio (in the Cleveland/Akron area). For more information or to register for this exciting event, please call our office at (800) 532-7667, ext. 121.

Previously held informational seminars were made possible through unrestricted educational grants from Teva Neuroscience (makers of Copaxone) and Serono (makers of Rebif). These events include:

• “An Update on MS,” held March 29th at the Holiday Inn North in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Guest speakers were Dr. Omar Khan, director of Wayne State University MS Center in Detroit, Michigan and Chris Caon, R.N., program coordinator of Wayne State University MS Center.
• “An Update on MS,” held April 26th at the Holiday Inn Select North in Indianapolis, Indiana. Guest speakers were Dr. Robert Alonso of Hoosier Neurology, Inc. and Tara Lana, athlete and MS patient
  advocate. This program was co-sponsored by Hoosier Neurology, Inc.
• “MS and Pain,” held May 3rd at the Holiday Inn Select North in Indianapolis, Indiana. Speaking was Dr. Jack Anstandig of the Cleveland Clinic Health Systems.
• “Causes and Current Treatments of Multiple Sclerosis,” was held May 8th at the Holiday Inn Willowbrook in Willowbrook, Illinois. Dr. Bruce Cohen of Northwestern University and Northwestern Memorial Hospital spoke on the topic.
• “Advances in the Treatment of MS” was held May 14th in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio andco-sponsored by Serono. Dr. Greg Gardziola, D.O. of Neurosurgery & Neurology Associates Inc. gave a presentation, which was followed by a question and answer period.

You can now register for any MSAA Midwest Regional Office event 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call (800) 532-7667, ext. 121 any time to pre-register for an upcoming event. Leave your message after the beep. We will call you back to confirm receipt of the message. We welcome volunteers at pre-program registration tables. Call ext. 140 for volunteer information.

We participated in Rebif Across America® on March 22nd, in Akron, Ohio. The program, “Living with MS,” featured a very special appearance by actress and MS peer Teri Garr. Dr. Jay Berke, a neurologist from NeuroCare Center, Inc. of Canton, Ohio, presented an update on therapies for relapsing forms of MS. Other participants in the event were the Kym Sellers Foundation and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This program was sponsored by Serono, Inc. and Pfizer, Inc.

We look forward to another Rebif Across America program in the Chicago, Illinois area. Please call (800) 44REBIF for more information.

Support groups are planning their versions of “The MSAA Spring Fling.” Come join us. Very active support groups for the Midwest Region can be found in Northfield, Sagamore Hills, Proctorville, and Wauseon, Ohio; Morris, Illinois; and Ironwood, Midland, and St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Please call our regional office at the number listed below to get more information on support groups in your area.

This year, the Pathways for Independence Program has already enhanced the lives of more than a dozen people within this region. The program offers home assessments for qualified clients and then provides assistance for safety, accessibility, and mobility modifications within the home. Volunteer to become a Pathways for Independence assessor. Please call Scott McDonald at our field office for more information.

MSAA Midwest Regional Office:
Renée Williams, Director
13938A Cedar Road, #243
University Heights, OH 44118 (800) 532-7667, ext. 140
MSAA Chicago Area Field Office
Scott McDonald
Client Services Coordinator
3013 S. Wolf Road #215
Westchester, IL 60154-5639(708) 223-0734(800) 532-7667, ext. 150

Mid-South Region
The staff at MSAA’s Mid-South Region is looking forward to some exciting events throughout 2003. Coming up this spring and fall are MS Awareness Days, where valuable information is offered to those who attend. The presentations and discussion groups cover many aspects of living with MS, and whether you’re newly diagnosed or a veteran of MS, you will find these to be of much interest. Admission is free. The MS Awareness Days took place or will take place on:

• May 10th in Arlington, Texas
• May 17th in Little Rock, Arkansas
• September 27th (from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm) in El Paso, Texas

For more information on these events, please contact our regional office at (800) 532-7667 ext. 137.

Other events already held this spring include the MS Watch/MSAA Retreat, held April 24th-26th in Branson, Missouri. This retreat enabled people with MS to meet and enjoy the shows and sites of Branson. Participants also attended discussion groups, presentations, and received valuable information on living with MS.

A Support Group Leaders’ Conference for the Mid-South Region was also held May 2nd-4th in Arlington, Texas. Support group leaders were invited to a free weekend of stimulating discussion and practical help on running successful support groups.
We would like to welcome our newest support groups to the region. These include Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Ada, Oklahoma; along with Cabot and Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. If you are interested in starting a support group in the Mid-South Region, please contact our office.

For those of you in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area, we now have a Tai Chi class being taught by Ruth Beauchamp. Ruth started her interest in Tai Chi seven years ago as a way to safely exercise with her MS. She soon found that it helped to stabilize her body and reduce her fear of falling.

Ruth points out that “Tai Chi is now a part of me and my life more than MS. We would love to have you. You can start anytime. It may work for you, but if not, do something…don’t let MS win…we’ve come too far to stop now. I challenge you to ‘just do something’…it will enhance your life.” The group meets on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10:30 am (summer hours 9:00 to 10:00 am) at the Cliff Nelson Recreation Center in Arlington, Texas; admission is free. Please call the Mid-South Regional Office for more information or to register.

MSAA Mid-South Regional Office:
Adam Roberts, Director
107 Avonshire Terrace, Diamondhead
Hot Springs, AR 71913-2205
(800) 532-7667, ext.137 or
(501) 262-9380

Northwest Region
Among the many events planned for the upcoming months is our second annual Support Group Leader Conference, scheduled for June 20th and 21st at the Ramada Copper King Hotel in Butte, Montana. This will be a great opportunity for group leaders to share their news, strategies and challenges, and discuss upcoming activities.

Dr. Dennis Dietrich, neurologist from Great Falls, Montana, gave an extremely informative presentation March 13th in Great Falls regarding MS research. Speaking to a packed auditorium at the Montana State University College of Technology, Dr. Dietrich fielded a number of questions regarding current and future studies into the mysteries of MS.

The 10th Annual Conference of the Northwest Region was held April 25th and 26th at the Edgewater DoubleTree Hotel in Missoula, Montana. Dr. Jack Burks, MSAA’s chief medical officer, was our scheduled keynote speaker to discuss MS therapies and pain management. Zo Woods, RN, spoke on care partner issues, while Nick McEnaney, motivational and inspirational speaker, kept us smiling! A welcome reception took place on Friday evening, April 25th.

The TransMontana 2003 Snowmobile Charity Fundraiser was a tremendous success. More than 40 riders from all over the country participated in the six-day ride and raised a record amount of money. A sincere “thank you” goes to everyone involved in this event. And another special “thank you” goes to the Montana Snowmobile Association for sponsoring the ride, and to Teva Neuroscience (makers of Copaxone) for their continuing support. Terry McFarland, MSAA’s chief development officer, joined the ride this year. He was treated to the beauty of Montana and the generous welcome that all the TransMontana riders received along the way. We are already looking forward to TransMontana 2004!

We would like to welcome the newly formed support group in Hamilton, Montana. For information about meeting time and place, contact Nancy Holzer (406) 363-1149 or LaRoy Williamson at (406) 363-1315.

Our volunteers are the mainstay of the Northwest Regional office. With thousands of hours donated each year, their commitment, dedication, ingenuity and spirit help define our mission. THANK YOU, volunteers, we couldn’t do it without you. Please know you are making a difference!

We hope you enjoy the upcoming season.

MSAA Northwest Regional Office:
Sue Pencoske, Director
600 Central Plaza, Suite #13
Great Falls, Montana, 59401
(800) 532-7667, ext. 131 or (406) 454-2758