Four more weeks until I embark on my third “Bay to Bay MS 150” mile bike
ride. I’ve been training hard for this
event all year. I have lost about 40
pounds and am looking to crush previous ride times to complete this event on my
way to taking a bite out of Multiple Sclerosis.
This ride hides no hills. 70
miles in to the event is when the challenge begins and that has always been to
the hills advantage. This year I’m
climbing like a mountain goat and each year just to finish this ride is an
emotional one for just about every one of the 3000 riders who will
participate. We ALL know someone with
Multiple Sclerosis and someone who either has a very hard time with the
debilitating disease or who has passed away from years and years of fighting
it.
I ride in honor of my Mother who has been diagnosed with MS
for nearly 10 years now. Ironically, she
was diagnosed with MS after a horrific bike accident that nearly took her
life. Thanks to modern medicine and her
will to fight, she won the battle over her bike injuries only to have a CT scan
find the signs of MS surrounding the nerves around her brain. Modern medicine is great but not yet against
the nerve rattling affects that MS has on its victims. She had symptoms of MS prior to her bike
accident but wasn’t diagnosed with MS but lived with the daily grind that it
takes on your body and nervous system and now has the ability to accept
treatment such as inhibitors and physical therapy that help her get through the
most trying days. When you have MS, you
don’t know when or if it will be a good day or a REALLY BAD day. You don’t get a warning and believe it or not
there is no cure for MS.
Until there is a cure the National MS Foundation has
committed itself to help those living with MS and to ensure they have the
resources necessary to live as normal of a life as possible until there is a
cure.
Many of the cyclist I ride with say that we ride for those
who can’t and we take advantage of what we love to do on our bikes. With the support of the MS Foundation we have
made a difference but we couldn’t have made a difference without the support of
people like you.
Last year in just this one event we raised 3.2 million
dollars that goes to those who have MS and need quality of life resources
support.
With only four weeks left, I’m asking for your support to
help me make my pledge goal this year.
Any amount is welcomed and like I have said before, how would it make you
feel if you knew your donation was the donation that brought us one step closer
to ending Multiple Sclerosis.
To make a donation through my personal donation portal page
click here: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2633597&pg=personal&fr_id=17111&s_tafId=216453
Thank you and thanks to those who have already made a
donation to help end MS,
Best regards, Mike Flanagan
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