Flossmoor Resident Angel Arroyo Jr. to Participate in Walk MS May 4

Angel Arroyo Jr. was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2010, and on Sunday, May 4, he will take part in Walk MS, the largest annual fundraiser of the National MS Society, Greater Illinois Chapter. He will be walking at the South Suburbs location, Centennial Park (10401 W. 153 St.) in Orland Park, Ill. — one of 11 Walk MS events statewide. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., and the Walk begins at 9 a.m. Walk MS brings people together to celebrate the progress and powerful connections made in the movement to end MS and raises funds for critical MS research, programs and services.

At the time of his diagnosis, Arroyo knew nothing about MS, and he didn’t know anyone else who had it. He felt isolated, and although he received encouraging words from his neurologist and family, he didn’t know enough about his condition to believe that he would be ok.

“It was a little terrifying at first,” said Arroyo. “I was about to start a family, and I wondered if I would be able to support them. I think it was difficult for others to understand exactly what I was going through.”

After finding an MS fundraiser in his neighborhood, Arroyo took his first timid steps into the MS community. He was welcomed with open arms and invited to join MS Mission Possible, a support group for people living with the disease. After so much uncertainty following his diagnosis, Arroyo had finally found the solidarity he was looking for. It was an environment where he could talk about living with MS, learn more about new medications and discuss important issues with medical professionals. It was his support group that first introduced him to Walk MS.

“It became my safe haven,” said Arroyo, describing Walk MS. “It’s an environment where everyone understands you. Everyone’s on the same page, and we all have the same frustrations.”

This year, Arroyo will be leading the MS Mission Possible team as they join thousands of participants statewide and hundreds in the South Suburbs for Walk MS 2014. Together they hope to raise money and awareness that will bring them closer to their goal of a world free of MS.

“I don’t want our kids to have to worry about MS,” said Arroyo on why he walks. “I believe that MS is given to strong people, and we need to come together and face this head on.”

Last year, more than 12,000 people participated in Walk MS throughout Illinois, raising over $2.7 million for critical MS research, programs and services. In his first year of Walk MS, Arroyo’s team raised $25,000; they hope to increase that number to $50,000 this year.

“I’m going to do everything possible to make sure that I’m there for my daughter as she grows up,” said Arroyo. “When raising a child, failure is not an option — my MS diagnosis is the same way.”

To find out more about Walk MS 2014 or to register or donate online, contact Samantha Edidin at 312.423.1156 or atsamantha.edidin@nmss.org, or visit walkMSillinois.org.

Multiple Sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease that interrupts the flow of information in the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. The Greater Illinois Chapter mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of more than 20,000 individuals in Illinois and 2.3 million worldwide affected by MS.

For more information, visit MSillinois.org.