This is what I posted on my Ay-ziggy-zoomba.com website. I’d appreciate it if any friends/visitors to this site would consider sponsoring me. Thanks.
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Some of you may have noticed the “Do Something” footer at the bottom of every page of this (ay-ziggy-zoomba.com) website. I’ve linked to two charities that are very dear to me. The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Since 1983 I followed Jim Valvano’s career and still get tears in my eyes every time I hear the “Don’t ever give up” speech. With the loss of my dad 2 years ago to cancer, this charity means more to me than ever and I’d appreciate any support any of you could find to give it.

The other charity is one I don’t say much about. The same summer my dad was diagnosed with cancer, my wife was diagnosed with MS. MS is a terrible, scary, unknown that not only robs its victims of their motor skills, vision, strength, sleep, coordination and more, but also of their innocence and often all of their hope. MS isn’t a well known disease, people remember reading books to raise money back in school, or maybe recognize the Bike-To-The-Bay each year, but they don’t really know what MS is.

My wife, Maryellen, woke up one morning and couldn’t see out of her right eye. After a trip to the emergency room and several doctors visits later, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Neither of us really knew what that was. MRI’s showed scars in her brain where the electrical impulses “jumped the circuit” and caused damage. Since then she’s lost feeling in her legs, experienced numbness, dizziness, fatigue and depression. Maybe more devastating, she never knows what tomorrow will hold…it’s very probable that one day she’ll wake up and not be able to stand up.

I give her a shot once a week to help slow the progression of the disease. Thankfully, she’s recovered from each of her exacerbations (although there’s always some residual damage that holds on…her vision returned, but isn’t normal, etc.), and she’s only had to miss a few weeks of work. I can’t stand wondering what tomorrow may hold for her and can only imagine what it’s like from her perspective.

So now that I’ve given you the story…here comes the action item. April 6, I’m going to be walking in the MS Walk to help raise awareness and monies for the National MS Society. I’m looking for sponsors. The MS Society helps fund research and education. Please consider giving. There is a website where you can make pledges online, (it’s a little slow, but it does work) or if you’d rather, please send a check made out to the “National MS Society” to me directly:

Grant Cummings
P.O. Box 73
Elmore, OH 43416

It’s not easy for me to be public about this very private part of our lives…I hope you all don’t mind my openness. If you can’t help, that’s fine, but if you can, please do! If not for Maryellen, then for someone you may or may not know. It seems like almost everyone knows of someone with MS. Now would be a great time to help do something about it! Thanks for reading.

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