There are more drugs available to treat MS than ever before. Wouldn’t it be great to know which ones worked best for all of us living with MS?
It never occurred to me that multiple sclerosis (MS) was a “white person’s disease.” I’ve known about MS since childhood because my father’s first cousin had it and used a cane.
I remember summer days at my grandmothers when he’d stroll several blocks to visit her with soft, shuffling steps. He was my motivation for participating in the “MS Readathon” every year in elementary school to help raise money for a cure.
When I was diagnosed with MS in 2001, I was shocked because I had found out I have a serious condition — not because I’m Black and have MS. After all, we “had it in the family,” as my dad would say.
While nobody’s ever said it to me directly, I learned soon enough that “I didn’t know Black people got that” comments floated around about MS pretty regularly.
My friend, who also has MS and is white, chuckled to me that someone said it to her, and she replied: “The only people I know with MS are Black.” Still, it was a common belief that MS only affects white people.
Let’s correct that right now: This is not true.