I live in Lewiston, and I am joining the movement to end multiple sclerosis.

Every hour, someone is diagnosed with MS, a chronic disease of the central nervous system for which there is no cure. Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. Many have trouble imagining what their lives would be without the ability to move, but I know the effects of MS; I have MS.

Here in Androscoggin County, more than 250 people live with MS every day. For some, that means living with unpredictable symptoms such as numbness, blurred vision and fatigue, which can come and go without warning. For others, it means more permanent damage, such as paralysis. For friends and family members, it means not knowing what the day will bring for their loved one and always being prepared for the unexpected, making it difficult to move through it.

MS Awareness Week is March 5-11. I encourage people to join the movement to end MS, and help people with MS move their lives forward. It only takes a few minutes to make a difference in the lives of the millions of people worldwide who live with this disease.

Louise Martel, Lewiston