This world can be a horrendously cruel place sometimes. It has an irksome habit of sneaking up behind you. And when you least expect it, the world sucker punches you to the floor. In the wake of that abrupt collision is a tornado of shock, pain, uncertainty, and fear for what will follow. Anyone old enough to read this understands the devastation that the world can throw our way. It’s that empathy, engrained in the core of our humanity, which spurs us into battle when a loved one is under distress. But it doesn’t stop there. Every day we see instances of members in our communities helping a complete stranger who has tripped on the sidewalk, dropped a stack of papers, etc. That person isn’t a friend, significant other, or family member. Yet we still help them because we understand exactly what is troubling them and we know how to help. That’s what makes the battle against multiple sclerosis so incredibly difficult.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. It can strike at any time in a multitude of forms that endanger a person’s physical, mental, and even psychiatric health. Unfortunately, our understanding of the disease doesn’t extend far beyond that. The cause is unknown, it’s rarely diagnosed early on, the treatment of the disease in inadequate, and there is currently no cure.
In late 2012, one of our brother’s mother was diagnosed with MS. After learning about the despondent pessimism that follows everyone who is diagnosed with the disease, our fraternity came to a common understanding: These people are in desperate need of others to help them in their battle. What came next was ATO Walks Hard: Many Steps for MS. Our reasoning behind making a 160 mile trek in one of the most brutal winter climates across the country was simple: Doing something this outlandish would have to gather awareness and force recognition upon a disease that is so hard to see. And once people recognized the grueling agony of what those with MS go through every single day, they would be compelled to join our fight.
There are so many terrible sucker punches the world can throw at us, and MS is just one of them. I’m not writing this to tell you that one cruel twist of fate is more awful than the other, or that some people have it worse than others. I’m writing this to tell you that there are people all over the world that are in need of others to fight for them. If you’re one of the people rushing to the frontlines I applaud you. If you haven’t found a cause worth fighting for yet, I can promise you it’s the most rewarding experience this world has to offer. And if you’d like to join our battle, we’d love to have you on our side.
- Derek Holden, Kappa Lambda Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega