36 Interviews, 3 Hours and 2 Lapel Mics

One Community United for MS Awareness

I had an informative experience serving as a Volunteer Journalist at the Walk MS: Boston 2025 on June 8, 2025. The 1,375 participants at this event were there to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The money raised supports the mission to find a cure for MS and empower those affected to live their best lives.

Lately, I've felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of the world's problems. There are numerous causes, various diseases, and urgent needs. I've been skeptical. Do awareness videos and campaigns still have an impact? Is anyone still paying attention?

Before this event, my understanding of MS was limited to what I had learned from textbooks and academic papers. I knew it as a chronic autoimmune disease with wide-ranging symptoms. My mental image of people with MS was the extreme portrayals I'd seen on TV. That was it.

For three hours, I walked through the event grounds and interviewed anyone willing to speak with me, both on- and off-camera. I left with a new understanding of the disease and the people affected by it.

I spoke with:

1. People living with MS: Some were newly diagnosed, and others were decades into their journey.

2. Spouses, children, coworkers, and friends

3. Organizers and volunteers.

Lessons

Community is everything

The incredible power of community support — parents, spouses, children, extended family members, friends, coworkers, and the National MS Society. Everyone had someone in their lives that they were rooting for, someone they were fundraising for. Some interviewees were on the verge of tears during our talks.

I was overwhelmed with emotions as well, and I had to take breaks to walk off to a corner to compose myself. People are hurting; they are trying to be strong, but they are hurting.

Science and research matter

The importance of research and development. I learned about the progress made in MS research and the hopes people hold for a cure. There were frustrations with the current politics and the cuts to research funding.

Awareness changes minds

I gained a new appreciation for the power of communication and awareness campaigns. In just 30 minutes, I had my assumptions and limited understanding of this disease changed. Even if only one person learns something new, that is a win. A disease is not just a list of symptoms; it is someone's lived reality, and if I hadn't spoken to them and heard their story, I wouldn't fully understand it.

Funding for life-saving research is needed now more than ever, despite the scale of the problems around me seeming insurmountable. It's our responsibility to keep the conversation going and maintain awareness of the issues at hand. Because someone, somewhere, will eventually receive the message.

It brings me back to a piece of advice I once heard.

Let's ask people who have different experiences from us. "What is it like to be you?"

We can't show up for the people in our community if we don't know what they go through. Our advocacy is stronger when we are armed with those stories.

All the interviews I conducted will be used to support the National MS Society's fundraising, awareness, and education efforts.

Thank you to the MS Society for this incredible assignment!

#WalkMS #MultipleSclerosisAwareness #Storytelling #ScienceCommunication #CommunitySupport #MSResearch #VolunteerReflections