Woman raises awareness and money for multiple sclerosis

Susan Miller was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 11 years ago, and she has dedicated her time toward raising awareness and money for the disease since.

MS is a disease of the central nervous system. It causes tremors, speech problems, poor coordination and much more. When Miller was diagnosed she experienced difficulty speaking and walking.

“Everybody experiences it in a different way. You could put a thousand people in a room together with MS and not one of them would have the same symptoms,” said Miller.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society says Idaho has one of the highest rates of MS in the country, with one in every 300 people diagnosed.

“Almost every time I go out to the grocery store or shopping, I usually meet somebody with MS,” said Miller.

Miller runs an MS support group in Idaho Falls. She also coordinates Walk MS, a walking event that raises money for MS research.

“It is our big fundraiser for the year and 86 cents of every dollar goes to research, which is badly needed,” said Miller.

Walk MS is held at Snake River Landing every September. Miller said the event hasn’t been as successful as she would like. Last year’s walk drew just 100 people.

“Where I came from in Alabama we had close to 1,000 people, and I think a lot of it is people are not aware of it,” said Miller. “A lot of people with MS, don’t want people to know they have MS.”

The MS Walk will be held in Idaho Falls at 10 a.m. on Sept. 21. There will also be walks in Twin Falls and Wood River that day. If you would like to learn more about the event, visit walkmsidaho.org