May 27, 2009 Michael AugustineLisez en Francais
Life for me has been challenging of late.
While I am one of the lucky people in terms of the severity of my disease and my ability to still engage life to its fullest, I have recently been having difficulties which have given rise to the fear that my MS may possibly be getting worse. My having to deal with this new status quo is largely responsible for my being unable to update my blog these last few weeks.
However, though I am very concerned for my personal future, I have equally never been so optimistic that a cause and cure for multiple sclerosis will be found in my lifetime. Recently, it was announced that five new Regional Research and Training Centres (RRTC) will be created across Canada, significantly accelerating the pace of research by bringing together over 50 scientific institutions, 100 established scientists and 250 trainees under a common umbrella. These RRTC’s are key components of the endMS Research and Training network.
For the next three years, each of these five regional centres will receive $100,000 per year as funded by the MS Society of Canada, to facilitate collaborative research and training activities, representing a total investment of $1.5 million. To put this in simple layman’s terms, we are taking control of our lives by no longer waiting for someone to stumble onto a breakthrough. We WILL find the answers we seek, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that our invested researchers, clinicians, physicians and scientists possess all the tools they need to make our dream of being able to end MS a reality - not tomorrow, but right now!
Never before in our collective histories has the possibility of a cure for multiple sclerosis been so real. It is far more now than just dream, it is a near tangible reality - but we are not quite there yet. I will keep the faith and continue to do whatever I can to ensure that the MS Society of Canada attains its mission to be a leader in finding a cure for multiple sclerosis, and to enable people affected by MS to enhance their quality of life.
And for that reason, and a hundred other equally inspiring motivations, I will NEVER give up!
Irreverently Yours,
Aug, who can now see the light at the end of tunnel... and its growing fast!
Technorati tags: endMS, multiple sclerosis, research, Canada