Saturday, June 16, 2007

When Mom Is an MSer

What happens when a mother has MS? It's difficult enough for adults to understand. What do we tell our children? They often get the kids' version, a vague summary. MS affects the MSer, but it doesn't stop there. A high school student in an adjacent suburb struggled with the disease even without symptoms of her own.

Sophie Levy'
s mother Karen has had MS for years and she felt alone with her emotions. As a result of her senior project, she says she came "out of the dark." Sophie interviewed MS families exploring MS and what really matters.
She produced a student documentary called The Many Faces of Multiple Sclerosis.

In answering her questions, Sophie has produced a source of information so other kids would not have to experience what she went through at such an early age. She learned she is not alone and that life goes on -- a message we could all learn.

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2 comments:

mdmhvonpa said...

My mom had MS for years but hid it. When I was diagnosed, she came out. I think she believed if she hid it, it would not be 'true'. That I would not 'get' it.

Vicki said...

I think that was probably more common than we know. Less today because we are more aware there is such a thing as MS, but it must have been difficult for your mother. My father kept his Parkinson's secret because he was too proud to have that disease. I think many people feel if they don't say it, it's not true -- for more things than MS.

And even people who are open are less so with their kids to protect and shield them. Good for Sophie for giving us a child's point of view that the kid's version was not so comforting.