WHEREAS,  multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, for which there is no cure at present, that typically is diagnosed in people between 20 years and 50 years of age and affects women 3 times more often than it does men; and

WHEREAS,  multiple sclerosis interrupts the signal between the brain and the body; and

WHEREAS,  multiple sclerosis affects 400,000 people nationwide, including 8,000 to 10,000 children and teens; over 3,000 individuals in Maine have the disease, nearly one in 400 citizens, which is one of the highest per capita rates in the nation; and

WHEREAS,  the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is a driving force of multiple sclerosis research, pursuing prevention, treatment and cure, and the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society educates, supports and advocates for people with multiple sclerosis and their families to help them maintain the highest possible quality of life; and

WHEREAS,  the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society encourages individuals with multiple sclerosis and their families, health professionals and other concerned citizens to join the movement to advocate for policy change in the priority areas of high-quality health care, health care coverage, long-term care and disability rights; now, therefore, be it