Thanks so much to all of you who continue to read our Blog. The response has been completely overwhelming and we're blessed to be able to not only share our lives with you, but that you've taken an interest in the goings-on in our household.
This post is a bit different than normal (no pictures or cute stories about Claire).
Sorry :-)
And before anyone jumps on my case (for letting the cat out of the bag) - this post was Jen's idea. Since I'm the one who updates the blog, the post is coming from me.
Jen also wanted me to make sure everyone understands that this post is not intended to be a "pity-party" (if you know Jen, you'll find humor it this). She is very worried that people will feel badly for her. While you may feel badly, our intention is more about fundraising sponsorship than anything.
Jen was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in November 2011 after a long, terrible, uncertain, and sometimes painful round of testing during the 3 years prior.
As we did last year, Jen and I will be participating in the "Walk MS" event, which takes place on April 7th, 2013 in Pasadena, CA (around the beautiful Rose Bowl Stadium). The walk is about 1-Mile in length.
Jen is seeking fundraising sponsorship for her walk. Her fundraising goal for sponsorship this year is $1,000.
If you feel compelled to sponsor Jen, you can do so by clicking on the following link.
CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR JEN
If for some reason that link doesn't work (It should have a button which says "Donate to Jennifer" on the right-hand side), you can click on the following link to search for Jennifer Brunsman in California.
THIS IS A 2nd LINK TO TRY
Your donation is tax-deductable!
For some of you, this announcement may be considered as a shock. Our intention is certainly not to blindside you with upsetting information. Rather, we wish to expand your knowledge about a debilitating, yet often misunderstood, disease.
Jen's participation in the "Walk MS" event in Pasadena is just another way for us to work together to increase awareness about MS, but also to raise funds for research for a cure, treatments, and further clinical trials and studies.
What is Multiple Sclerosis, you ask?
MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The disease involves an immune system attack against the central nervous system where the myelin (the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the Central Nervous System) is damaged, as well as the nerve fibers themselves. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis).
What the heck does all of that mean?
Basically, you can liken your nerves to an extension cord (or a lamp's electrical cable if that's easier for you). The rubber that surrounds the copper prevents electrical shorts or other critical malfunctions. When an electrical cable's copper is exposed, you're exposed to a risk of fire, short, and/or functional incapacity - meaning that the electrical signal will not be transmitted.
With Multiple Sclerosis, the myelin is the rubber of the extension cord and the nerve is the copper. When the nerve is exposed because the myelin is worn down, Central Nervous System shorts appear - such as tingling in the extremities, blindness, inability to walk (in more advanced cases - such as living with MS for a long time), paralysis, or any other symptom you can imagine that you normally enjoy not having to deal with through having a properly functioning Central Nervous System.
The long-and-short of the case is this: When Jen gets sick, her immune system attacks the bug, but at the same time, her immune system attacks her body (specifically her myelin). For this reason, Jen must be very careful about germ exposure.
You can read more about MS at the following webpage.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Here is the link (again) for where you can sign up to sponsor Jen's walk.
CLICK HERE TO SPONSOR JEN
If for some reason the above link doesn't work (It should have a button which says "Donate to Jennifer" on the right-hand side), you can click on this link to search for Jennifer Brunsman in California.
THIS IS A 2nd LINK TO TRY
Your donation is tax-deductable!
We understand that the current financial climate is prohibitive for many forms of fundraising, so if you are unable to donate, even your love and support is welcomed.
Jen is an extremely strong, resilient, beautiful, and hard-working woman. She manages her symptoms well, and she deals with the stresses of living with a (eventually) debilitating disease with grace and dignity. Even though she has MS, remember (most importantly) that she is still Jen.
We'll update the blog sometime in the next two weeks so that you can get your Claire fix. She's been doing some really cool things.
Thank you so much for reading. We are truly blessed to have all of you in our lives!
Love,
Dave, Jen, Claire, and Peyton (the dog)
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