After reading our recent Montel Williams article, Look To The Stars reader Dan Ciranny wrote in to tell us something our readers can do today to make a real difference in the lives of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS):
First of all, let me tell you about MS, because I admit I never really understood what it was about.
Multiple Sclerosis leads its victims down a long decline in every vital system of the body. It attacks systems in the body randomly by deteriorating the protective sheaths of the nerve connections that send signals to that part of the body.
It attacks the eyes, so blurry and double vision becomes the order of the day. It attacks the nerve endings in the skin, so if you can imagine what it feels like to have a novacaine shot at the dentist, imagine your entire body without feeling. But that doesn’t mean there is no pain…no, not at all. Imagine shooting electrical shock-like pains randomly attacking different parts of your body, without warning or pity. It attacks the motor skills in your body so that walking becomes a chore, often dragging a foot. It attacks your balance so that you often feel dizzy so that the simple act of standing becomes difficult. It attacks your ability to hold things in your hands. It attacks your urinary tract and digestive systems, so that basic digestion and elimination become uncontrollable and embarrassing.
More importantly, it attacks your brain. Words that used to flow easily become difficult to find. You find it difficult to focus or concentrate. And you are tired all the time. Meeting basic human needs for yourself becomes difficult to deal with. Even the simple acts of taking a shower and dressing start to feel like running a marathon.
Approximately 400,000 Americans have MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. World-wide, MS affects about 2.5 million people. This monstrous disease is literally eating the lives of your friends and neighbors. Because the symptoms often masquerade as other diseases, it is very difficult to diagnose and not all diagnosed cases get reported. The point is, if MS hasn’t yet affected your life or someone you know, it is very possible that it will.
So what can you do? Join with Montel Williams as he fights for the cure. He is hosting a Gala Poker Tournament and Party in NYC this week. Lots of celebrities will be in attendance as well as well-known professional poker players from all over the world. There will be a pay-per-view live-streamed internet event so that you can attend right from your computer and a portion of the proceeds will go to help Montel find a cure. This is your chance. For about the cost of a fast food meal or a movie with no popcorn, you can make a difference.
Montel himself will be putting up prizes for a drawing that will be just for the people who come to the live streaming event. To hear an exclusive interview with Montel himself about this event, go to www.energyofthespirit.com. There you can also get instructions on how you can participate.
Whether you go to the event yourself or not, please forward this to everyone who has ever forwarded you a joke or inspirational email. I am not going to promise you that if you forward it to 10 of your friends a magical genie will grant you a wish…
…But here is YOUR chance to make a real difference. You can be instrumental in finding a cure for this ravening beast of a disease called MS. You could be the one who gets this message to someone who sends the final dollar in that actually gets the research done that finds the cure. Help Montel, help your neighbors, help the human beings who are being imprisoned by this malicious disease. Thank you in advance for your kindness.
Dan Ciranny, www.yaktivate.com
The event takes place tonight, March 13, at the Cipriani on 42nd Street, New York City. It will feature a host of poker professionals, including Annie Duke, and all proceeds go to the Montel Williams MS Foundation. Play starts at 7:15pm.
Source: Dan Ciranny
