Living with MS
A local man is overcoming the obstacles of Multiple Sclerosis.
Michael Gerber loves to entertain.
He and his wife, Gail, have a nearly non-stop social life. They describe their home, which is just a few miles from Hollywood, as a revolving door - people are always stopping by to visit, share a joke or story, enjoy a meal. Speaking of food - they've got something special going - their friend, Randy Fuhrman, makes magic in the kitchen for some of their get-togethers.
Just a few years ago, Michael received news that would slow his body, but not his spirit - he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
More than 400,000 people in the United States live with MS. It's a slow-progressing disease with symptoms ranging from numbness and nausea to paralysis, loss of muscle control and more. No one knows what causes it and there is no cure.
Michael uses a walker, sometimes a wheelchair. He has struggles you can't see, too - but those certainly don't extend to his sense of humor! He is funny, witty and entertaining - you'll get a taste of that in his blogs, which you can read by clicking here.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society raises money to fund research to find the cause and cure for MS and provide services for the thousands of people in Southern California who have the debilitating disease. One of the biggest fundraisers of the year is the MS Walk.
The walk is on Michael's annual calendar. He has lots of family and friends signed up for the walk in Pasadena, which is on Sunday, April 19th. His team is called "The Jiggy Wiggits." If you see him at the walk, you have to ask him about the team name!
NBC4 is a proud sponsor of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's 2009 MS Walk. You can find an MS walk near you, by clicking here.
