Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild such as numbness in the limbs or severe — paralysis or loss of vision. 
Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 but the unpredictable physical and emotional effects can be lifelong. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are giving hope to those affected by the disease.
There are about 400,000 Americans with MS, and every week 200 people are diagnosed with the disease — more than one person an hour. Here in Colorado, we have one of the highest prevalence rates in the U.S.with approximately 6,300 people living with MS. Of those with MS, 73 percent are women.