ST. LOUIS (KTVI)- A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis doesn't happen to just one person, it affects the whole family. It's a life long disease , and an unpredictable We take a closer look a two ordinary people dealing with life and the ups and downs of the disease. Two very different people with two very different life styles. MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other effectively

One is a prominent St. Louis Pastor the other a local nurse . But what they do have is in common they both are battling multiple sclerosis. Pastor Charles Roach is very active at Trinity Mount Carmel Baptist Church in St. Louis County .He also served his country in the United States Air Force as Staff Sergeant.

Each and every Sunday he delivers a powerful message to his congregation. Pastor Roach says multiple sclerosis runs in his family and he wants to empower , equip and educate others about the disease. " It's important that all of us to share an experience of some types of difficulty . It may not be physical as mine but it could be mental or emotional . But one has to learn how to conquer that. We have enough tenacity in us to conquer any difficut situation, " said Pastor Roach.


Now we take a look a Michelle Keating a health care provider. a phenomenal women and volunteer with the St. Louis Gateway Area Chapter of Multiple Sclerosis. Keating says the diagnosis changed his life forever. Together they both have learned to adjust in different ways as MS affects what they can do ."My first reaction was of denial and worry , what would my future be like? But my future has been very beautiful. I have two children I have raised and I continue my career as a nurse and wife.


Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially debilitating disease in which your body's immune system eats away at the protective sheath that covers your nerves. This interferes with the communication between your brain and the rest of your body. Ultimately, this may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that's not reversible.

Symptoms vary widely, depending on the amount of damage and which nerves are affected. People with severe cases of multiple sclerosis may lose the ability to walk or speak. Multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose early in the course of the disease because symptoms often come and go — sometimes disappearing for months.

Like anyone else in the MS movement, they actively volunteer and seek effective means to move closer to a world free of MS.

At this point there's no cure for multiple sclerosis. If you would like to join the movement with over 3,000 other cyclists riding towards a world free of MS, you can team up for the Bike MS Gateway Getaway Ride September 8 &9 2012 in Columbia Missouri

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