Multiple Sclerosis

Joanna Cross' family is frustrated. They are frustrated with the multiple sclerosis that leaves their matriarch feeling severely tired. And frustrated that she doesn't always want to talk about how she's feeling living with the chronic disease. "My family gets upset because I don't talk about it," says Cross, 39, who lives in Hagerstown's West End. "I understand it's a tough thing to deal with and you just want to feel normal," says Cross' daughter, Sefy Febus, 18. Like with many debilitating diseases, multiple sclerosis can be frustrating for family members as well as the person with MS. In addition to helping out her mom by carrying groceries or helping prepare dinner, Febus is tackling the bigger picture by trying to raise awareness of MS. Febus started an MS Walk team to participate in the Saturday, April 18, walk at Antietam National Battlefield.

The annual Multiple Sclerosis Walk is Saturday at Antietam National Battlefield beginning with registration at 9 a.m. To register on line, visit www.marylandmswalk.org . Donations are encouraged. A donation of $125 will earn a T-shirt. Larger donations can earn larger gifts. The National MS Society is a collection of individuals who want to do something about MS now - to move together toward a world free of multiple sclerosis.

MS Society hosting Wellness Day Feb. 24 National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Maryland Chapter will host a Wellness Day Saturday, Feb. 24, in the Advanced Technology Building in room 121 at Hagerstown Community College from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those with MS and their families are invited to the programs, as well as anyone interested in learning about multiple sclerosis. Informational speakers and demonstrations are planned. To register, call Melanie Sutula at 301-228-3808.

By CLYDE FORD Staff Writer, Charles Town SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Michele Drapeau loves getting on her mountain bike and heading down a trail with the trees racing past. Sometimes the obstetrics nurse at Jefferson Memorial Hospital rides not just for fun, but for a good cause. Drapeau plans to take her bike to Colorado in September to participate in a fund-raising event for the Jimmy Heuga Center to help those with multiple sclerosis. Drapeau, 29, of Shepherdstown, W.Va.

VerStandig Broadcasting joined forces for the fight against multiple sclerosis by forming two teams for the 2011 Walk MS, held April 16 at Antietam National Battlefield. Bob Rocks had more than 100 walkers on its team and raised $11,766.41. WAYZ’s Hayride Hikers had more than 30 walkers who raised a total of $5,461.49. The National MS Society, Maryland Chapter, raises funds to support MS research that will further treatment and be used to help find a cure. In addition, the chapter provides programs and services to more than 6,500 people living with MS throughout the state, and advocates on priority issues on behalf of the MS community.

WASHINGTON COUNTY With monuments shrouded in fog and a persistent rain chilling the air, it wasn't an ideal day for a walk at Antietam National Battlefield. But that didn't keep more than 300 people from showing up Saturday to participate in a three-mile hike to raise funds to fight multiple sclerosis. As the 10 a.m. start time approached, teams of walkers gathered on Mansfield Avenue at Antietam, donning ponchos and carrying umbrellas, But as they headed to the starting point, a clap of thunder meant a change in plans.

Living with multiple sclerosis Dr. Heidi Crayton and nurse Marie Stallbaum will speak to patients about living with multiple sclerosis at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 24, at Four Points Sheraton, 1910 Dual Highway, Hagerstown. Registration begins at 6 p.m. Crayton is an MS specialist at the Georgetown University Multiple Sclerosis Center in Washington, D.C. Stallbaum is a registered nurse and lives with MS. She is a former NCAA gymnast. The program is free. For information, call 1-866-955-9999.

A former chief of the Community Rescue Service was named Washington County's Citizen of the Month for February. County Commissioner John C. Munson read the proclamation honoring Frank Murray at Tuesday's meeting. "Through his actions, Frank Murray made a great impact on the community by saving countless lives ...," the proclamation states. Murray served as CRS chief for 10 years, and served Hagerstown and Washington County for more than 20 years as a volunteer technician for CRS, the proclamation states.

People living with multiple sclerosis, their families, caregivers and friends in Washington and Frederick counties are invited to the annual holiday party and dinner on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Potomac Center Activities Building, 1380 Marshall St., in Hagerstown. In addition to the dinner, the party will include games and fellowship. The dinner costs $5 per person. The menu includes chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, roll, salad and dessert. To register, contact 800-344-4867 or www.nmss-md.

Hagerstown Community College staff and students will participate in the annual Walk MS on Saturday, April 12, at Antietam Battlefield. HCC academic adviser Monica Hutchins and her team Baby Steps 4 Mommy will be joined by students from HCC's Student Government Association. Hutchins first formed her Walk MS team in 2004 and her team participates every year. Walk MS will be at 11 different locations throughout Maryland and is open to the public. There is no fee for participating in Walk MS, but participants are asked to bring donations and/or pledges to help raise money for the 6,500 people in Maryland living with multiple sclerosis.

On the surface, Jennifer Poffenberger's life seems fairly normal. She has been married for 22 years, is the mother of two teenage boys and has a full-time job. Like other parents, she's involved in her children's activities and finds time to volunteer with the Boy Scouts, the Athletic Boosters and PTA. Active in her church, she sings in the choir and serves on a committee. And if that's not enough to keep her busy, she's a Longaberger basket consultant. A lifelong resident of Boonsboro, she is close to her parents, her sisters - who she calls her best friends - and her nieces and nephews.

Forty-seven is too young to be in an assisted-living facility.It's too young to be dependent on others to help you bathe and get in and out of bed. Too young to have someone help you dress and put on your shoes.But Gina Braylen is proof that multiple sclerosis doesn¿t play fair.It can rear its ugly head at any moment, strike with a variety of symptoms and alter your lifestyle without warning.Braylen was diagnosed with MS, a disease of the central nervous...

Jennifer Bain is more than her disease. She's a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend. She's not defined by the cane she uses or the scooter that helps her conserve energy. And she doesn't care for labels that identify her limitations. But when it comes to the challenges of living with multiple sclerosis - an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system - Bain said she's pretty much an open book. "In fact, I might share more than many people want to hear," the Keedysville resident said.

Debbie Godlove's life took a turn when her husband Jim's parents moved into a series of local nursing homes. "For years, we visited every day or every other day," Godlove said. "That is where I decided I was going to become a volunteer. People in nursing homes need people to visit with them. " Godlove, of Hagerstown, bumped into a former co-worker who volunteered with the Nursing Home Visitation Program organized by a coalition of police and seniors. Godlove wanted to know more.

The MSBuster Fundraising Team is hosting a barbecue chicken dinner from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, at Potomac Fish & Game Club, 14241 Falling Waters Road, Williamsport. The meal is $10 per person and must be purchased by Thursday, Aug. 18. The meal includes a half chicken, coleslaw, baked beans, roll and iced tea. A cash bar is available (no coolers allowed). There will be tip jars, 50/50 drawings and more. Proceeds benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society - Maryland Chapter.

VerStandig Broadcasting joined forces for the fight against multiple sclerosis by forming two teams for the 2011 Walk MS, held April 16 at Antietam National Battlefield. Bob Rocks had more than 100 walkers on its team and raised $11,766.41. WAYZ’s Hayride Hikers had more than 30 walkers who raised a total of $5,461.49. The National MS Society, Maryland Chapter, raises funds to support MS research that will further treatment and be used to help find a cure. In addition, the chapter provides programs and services to more than 6,500 people living with MS throughout the state, and advocates on priority issues on behalf of the MS community.

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Shirley Hoake wasn't the type of person to keep secrets. She actually loved to gossip, her granddaughter admitted. But for four years, the Hagerstown woman carried around a burden that she only shared with her family. She had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. "Grandma didn't want people to feel sorry for her," Tina McCourt said. "She wasn't big on pity parties. " McCourt said her grandmother eventually had to share her secret with others, especially when her loss of balance, numbness and extreme fatigue became more evident.

JAN. 20, 1924-JULY 2, 2009 Mary Elizabeth (Bette) Snyder, 85, of 13616 Paradise Drive, Hagerstown, died Thursday, July 2, 2009, at her home. Born Jan. 20, 1924, in Catonsville, Md., she was the daughter of the late Arthur Clay Foard and Elizabeth Sarah Ann O'Sullivan Foard. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Buchanan Snyder, Sept. 3, 2008. She was a graduate of St. Mary's Catholic High School with the class of 1942 and Columbia Business College.

Hagerstown Community College staff and students took part in the annual Walk MS on April 18 at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg. HCC academic adviser Monica Hutchins first formed her team, "Baby Steps 4 Mommy," in 2004. This year, Hutchins' team consisted of more than 35 participants, which included HCC staff and students, as well as Hutchins' friends and family. Hutchins and her team raised more than $2,000 for Walk MS, a feat that earned them the Top Fundraising Team award for 2009.

Donald Sommerfeld, 81, of Hagerstown, had no problems talking about how his late wife, Wanda June (Knight) Sommerfeld, passed away. Wanda Sommerfeld died in 2007 at the age of 76, leaving behind three children, 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Without a hint of a tear, Sommerfeld recounted how his wife endured a long, painful battle with many illnesses, including cancer and multiple sclerosis. A battle she ultimately lost. Talking is the easier part. "You talk about her, but you don't think about her," said Sommerfeld, barely completing his thought before he started to sob. "That's when I get in trouble," Sommerfeld said, as more tears welled in the corners of his glassy hazel eyes.