Here is the text from the letter we sent separately to our U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters encouraging them to make sure the next COVID-19 legislative package ensures people with MS get what they need and helps the National MS Society support people with MS. To get involved in MS advocacy, visit Advocate for Change on the NMSS website.
Dear Senator Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters,
Our names are Dan and Jennifer Digmann, and we are two of your constituents who each are living with Multiple Sclerosis. We have met with you and members of your staff many times in district and at your office in Washington, D.C., most recently with (your legislative aide) on March 4 before COVID-19 essentially changed life as we all know it.
As you and your colleagues in the Senate continue negotiations on the next COVID-19 legislative package, we are urging you to consider our stories and experiences in ensuring that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has the resources it needs to help us and the nearly 1 million other Americans living with this disease of the central nervous system. For us, this primarily includes:
Expanding non-profit relief
Such action will enable non-profit organizations like the National MS Society to continue their life-changing work by ensuring they are eligible for forgivable loans and increase incentives for charitable giving for these organizations.
Supporting MS Research
This will provide emergency bridge funding to ensure that Society-funded research that is currently stalled due to COVID- 19 can resume once researchers return to their labs.The Society is the largest private funder of MS research in the world and has committed over $1 billion dollars to date.
Think how frightening these unknowns of COVID-19 are for all Americans. Now imagine what dealing with similarly overwhelming unknowns were like for two twentysomethings when we each were diagnosed with MS more than two decades ago.
It was eight days after her 23rd birthday in 1997 when Jennifer received her “gift” of an MS diagnosis. And Dan was 27 and had just started his new job at Central Michigan University in 2000 when he got his “signing bonus of sorts” of an MS diagnosis. We both were devastated, scared, and full of questions. First and foremost being what is Multiple Sclerosis? And then, what will our futures look like?
The National MS Society helped each of us to answer these and countless other questions as we navigated our new uncertain and unpredictable lives with this progressive disease. It merely was a blessing that we met at a NMSS event in 2002, fell in love, got married in 2005 and have pushed forward to live our best lives possible.
The NMSS continues supporting us and millions of other Americans and members of their families today. This is why it is so crucial that you work to make sure that expanding non-profit relief and supporting MS research are included in the next COVID-19 legislative package.
We thank you for all that you do for us and other Michigan residents in Washington, D.C., and we look forward to your continued support in staying ahead of MS.
Take care,
Dan and Jennifer Digmann