There's Always An Upside

There's Always An Upside
By Laura Bradford

I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of today's technology. At least not in so far as it's making people less friendly (face to face, anyway), more impatient, and far too preoccupied with things that don't matter.

Two of my most despised aspects of the computer age are 1) watching young people on dates who spend more time on their devices than actually talking, and 2) youngsters who never learn to wait with grace because they must watch movies on their parents' devices to withstand the horrors of "waiting in line" or "sitting still at a restaurant."

Yes, yes, I know... There are good things about it, too--research is faster (though, encyclopedias did just fine), and keeping in touch with friends/family is easier (though I thought the phone and real mail was nice, too). But beyond that? I'm not so sure.

However, yesterday, I was able to see--and be part of--a true benefit to the computer age when my neurologist kicked off his Global project designed to reach those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and give them hope.

There are so many sites out there that are devoted to "informing" people about various illnesses--side effects, symptoms, worst case scenarios, etc. And while, used correctly, such information can help...it can also frighten the uneducated (translation: the newly diagnosed of whatever disease is being researched).

So to see a site like I Can With MS, where the whole point is to lift someone's heart and give them hope, is a beautiful thing.

The site and my story ("I Can Teach My Children To Persevere With MS") went live yesterday and I'm honored to have been asked to play a part.

If you'd like to read my story, you can find it here:  http://icanwithms.org/13d.

If you'd like to view the site as a whole, go here:  www.icanwithms.org.

And better yet, if you know someone with MS, please share the link with them, too.

~Laura