Hales focused on sharing Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month

Multiple sclerosis is one of those diseases science hasn’t quite figured out. Its onset comes out of nowhere and has no cure, and its symptoms are widespread. The disease affects nearly 3 million worldwide.

On Monday, March 10, Edward and Jessica Hale paid a visit to the Holmes County Commissioners to discuss the disease. The commissioners declared March as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.

Edward Hale, who is stricken with the disease, has been proactive in communicating with officials around the state of Ohio about it, committing themselves to visiting each of the 88 counties as they share a message of hope and education concerning the disease.

Hale was diagnosed with MS in 2006 when doctors found lesions on his brain, and at that time he said he had no idea what the disease entailed or how it could affect the human body.

“It started with me with blurred vision,” Hale said. “Since then I have researched multiple sclerosis, and I have been advocating regarding that March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.”

Hale said multiple sclerosis is a disease that causes breakdown of the protective covering of nerves. It can affect people in various ways including numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes, depression, feeling tired, constant itching and burning of the feet, and other side effects.

In MS the immune system attacks the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers, known as myelin. This interrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Eventually, the disease can cause permanent damage of the nerve fibers.

Symptoms of MS depend on the person, the location of damage in the nervous system and how bad the damage is to the nerve fibers. Some people lose the ability to walk on their own or move at all. Others may have long periods between attacks without any new symptoms, called remission. The course of the disease varies depending on the type of MS.

There’s no cure for MS. However, there are treatments to help speed the recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.

Hale went on to talk about the various 15 prescriptions that can help individuals dealing with MS.

He also talked about how MS plays no favorites when it comes to those it affects.

“MS affects children, men and women. It doesn’t matter what race you are or which side of the aisle you’re on,” Hale said. “It doesn’t discriminate.”

He went on to discuss how MS can debilitate people in a variety of ways. He said he exhibits no outward appearances of anything being wrong while others may exhibit symptoms that make them look unstable, with slurred speech and lack of coordination.

“One person I talked to said it felt like he got hit in the back of the head with a pipe, and now he is confined to a wheelchair,” Hale said. “I hope that someday further advancement and research will find a cause and a cure.”

He said MS affects a person in every aspect of life, from their job to their home life, and is always present night and day.

Because of his experience, Hale, who is from Carroll County, said he is on a mission to share the details of MS and make as many people aware of the disease as possible.

The commissioners expressed their gratitude in his effort, also praising his wife Jessica for her unending support.

“We appreciate you being an activist and representing the voice of many,” Commissioner Dave Hall said.