When Chattanooga native, Katy Mena had a bout of double vision during her sophomore year of college, she had an inkling of what might lie ahead. After all, that was the same symptom her late mother, Vicky Mena, first experienced when she had her first encounter with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 23. So when Katy received her official MS diagnosis at age 19, she and her mother vowed to battle the disease together.
Vicky fought MS valiantly, with courage and grace, right up until her sudden death in January of this year. Honoring the life and memory of her mother, Katy now carries the torch forward and is committed to bringing greater awareness, education and hope to all people impacted by MS in the Chattanooga community.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable and often disabling disease of the central nervous system, which affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide. MS interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. While there have been significant advancements in terms of research and treatments in recent years, there is still no cure for the disease.
While MS may be a destroyer of connection, it is possible to build connections that MS cannot destroy. Our connections raise questions, find answers, bring knowledge and provide hope to the millions of people affected by MS worldwide. Every connection we make is a small victory, and together, our small victories will create larger ones that will help end MS forever. Every connection counts. Connect with others to learn more about MS, education, research, resources and support through www.MSconnection.org.
Chattanoogans can get connected through this year’s Walk MS:
Saturday, April 26
Tennessee River Park - Hubert Fry Center
4301 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga
Registration Opens at 9 a.m. Walk begins at 10 a.m.
One, two and four-mile route options
Click here for more information.