During the week of March 10-17, 2008, the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society is helping
communities and organizations across the country raise awareness and raise funds
in the battle against MS. Organizations, including Allsup Inc., which is a
national SSDI representation company, are raising awareness about this disease
and the resources that are available.
According to the National MS
Society, one person every hour is diagnosed with MS, which is an autoimmune
disease affecting the central nervous system. This disease affects about 2.5
million people worldwide and 400,000 people in the United States, including many
people who must stop working because of the disease.
"Though our efforts
to build awareness, understanding and support for the MS cause will certainly
continue long past the parameters of this week, we hope by helping to shine a
weeklong spotlight on a disease that strikes someone new each hour, we can
strengthen the nationwide commitment to unraveling the mysteries of multiple
sclerosis," said Joyce Nelson, president and CEO of the National MS Society.
The National MS Society has developed a new resource to help people who
are no longer able to work due to an MS-related disability. The
SSDI Guidebook for People with MS is among the
materials the society offers on its Web site,
http://www.nationalmssociety.org. The guide can be found by
clicking on the "Living with MS" link from the home page. The guidebook explains
the process of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which
often is a complex and lengthy process.
The MS Society also provides
materials to people who are recently diagnosed and working on how to handle the
diagnosis, how to communicate with their employers, and how to decide whether to
continue working.
Allsup salutes the MS Society and related organizations across
the country in recognizing the difficulties facing people who are diagnosed with
this disease and the repercussions for their families.
MS
Society
