I find it awkward but also encouraging when a pat-on-the-back I am giving to someone else gets turned into a pat-on-the-back for me. The “thank-you, no thank-you, no thank-you” exchange ends up looking like an Escher staircase turning back on itself not knowing where it started and where it ends.
Tonight I was added to the MS Leadership Class of 2012. This is a group of 42 business leaders or up-and-coming business leaders in Atlanta that have been nominated by a friend or peer to work as a liaison between the business world and the world of community service through raising funds and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. In conjunction with the induction into the Class of 2012 there was a dinner and the MS Society’s Annual meeting. As part of the annual meeting an update on research was given by Dr. Thrower.
Dr. Thrower is a neurologist here in Atlanta that has specialized in MS research and treatment since 1996. Other than being a wicked smart doctor and personable speaker he makes one great looking Captain Jack Sparrow. (more on that later) Dr. Thrower shared the 3-prong plan of attack: Stop, Restore, End. The idea is to find ways to stop the progression of MS symptoms and determine what is causing each symptom. Next they want to restore the damage caused by MS – this is particularly exciting research because of the implications of cross-modality work with spinal injuries and other diseases like Parkinson’s. Finally, the goal is to End MS through genetic markers and similar type research.
This year I could follow a good bit of what Dr. Thrower shared. Some was still over my head. Last year I had the privilege of attending the meeting because it was held in conjunction with the Team Captain’s rally. The research update was given by a Ph.D researcher from the University of Alabama - Birmingham. The bulk of her talk was over my head, but the glimpses of information that I think I understood fascinated me. When the team captains went back to our meeting we all looked at each other and asked if anyone understood anything she said. I said that I didn’t understand the words or the research or the implications of where she is headed with her work, but what I heard her say was – 20 years ago when I started doing BikeMS rides there was nothing for MS patients, a diagnosis was a death sentence, but what this researcher said was that now they not only have ideas of what MS is, how it develops, and what it attacks, but they can pinpoint a specific protein to hone in on and determine how it works in the disease progression. What I heard was – 20 years of bike riding and fundraising has changed MS from a death sentence to a we are working on it and can help you with it on our way to eliminating it. What I heard was – riding a bike makes a difference.
So tonight, after the meeting ended, I went up to Dr. Thrower and introduced myself. I am sure he didn’t recognize me because the last time we met I was in cycling clothes and he was dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. You see Dr. Thrower owns a full-sized drag-it-around-the-country-on-a-trailer pirate ship. He and some of his staff members and friends do reenactments and he has quite the authentic looking costuming and ship. His group of reenactors, together with the Shepherd Center, hosted a breakpoint at the BikeMS ride year before last. That is when I met him and had a picture made with him for my pirate loving sister.
Back to tonight – I introduced myself and asked if he knew where last year’s research speaker was in her findings? Even though I understood very little of what she said I was curious to know where she might be in the process one year later. He didn’t know. He works with her research through a clinical contact and doesn’t work with her directly, so he didn’t have an update. I thanked him for the work he is doing and told him about a co-worker of mine that is a patient of his and that came about because of my connection to MS through the bike rides and having met him as a pirate. He thanked me for the work I do through the Bike rides and especially for helping out co-workers. I also told him about riding with the Pedaling for Parkinson’s team captained by Dr. Jay Alberts. He is familiar with Jay and his research using exercise to reduce Parkinson symptoms. He then was more impressed with me and thanked me again for all I am doing with my bike for all the neurological diseases that benefit from the same research pool I am helping to fund.
I had to thank him again for his part, his approachableness, and his care for my co-worker and others like her. That was the Escher moment when I expressed much appreciation for him and his work and he kept appreciating me and my fundraising. Finally, someone else walked up to talk to him and the awkward thank-you, no thank-you dance ended.
Tonight made me proud of what I have done, excited for what has been accomplished and what is waiting around the corner to be discovered, and nervous about what all that means for this year’s planning, fundraising, and team captain responsibilities. I know what I do makes a difference, so I want to do it bigger and better each year. I want THIS fundraiser, THIS ride, THIS promotion to be THE one that leads to THE BREAKTHROUGH. I want to be a part of Stopping, Restoring, and Ending. I want to raise a Pina Colda on the beach with Dr. Thrower and say, “MS eradicated!”
