WEBVTT MEGAN: IN THE MEDICAL ALERT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IS UNPREDICTABLE. SOMETIMES IT IS DEBILITATING. T IF YOU TOE ONE LIVING WITH IT YOU WONDER WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP. THERE IS A LOT YOU CAN DO. WE HAVE GUESTS HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. LET'S START WITH YOU BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THIS DIAGNOSIS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK AND THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH ADVANCEMENT THAT YOU HAVE DONE AT HOPKINS. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT. IN THE LAST 20 YEARS WE DEVELOPED 12 THERAPIES FOR PEOPLE WITH M.S. SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE DIAGNOSED THERE IS A LOT TO DO. WE CAN TREAT THE DISEASE NOW. THERE IS UNMET NEEDS SO WE ARE DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH. IT IS AN EXCITING TIME. MEGAN: TONS OF RESEARCH AND ADVANCEMENTS AND IT HAS TO BE PAID FOR AND SUPPORTED AND THAT IS WHERE THE NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY COMES IN. HOW DO YOU DO THAT? THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IS SO IMPORTANT AND OUR ROLE IS TO BE ABLE TO RAISE THE MONEY TO FUND THE RESEARCH. SO, WE ARE PROUD TO BE THE LARGEST FUND ARE OF M. SS. RESEARCH. LAST YEAR WE FUNDED MORE THAN 300 INVESTIGATIONS ARSON THE GLOBE WITH AN -- AROUND THE GLOBE WITH AN INVESTMENT OF $50 MILLION AND WE DO THAT WITH THE WALK M.S. CAMPAIGN. MEGAN: WHAT IS CLEVER ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE THE WALKS ARE ALL OVER THE STATE. THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAVE 11 COMMUNITIES WE WILL BE IN THIS YEAR. BASICALLY FROM APRIL 11 THROUGH APRIL 26 YOU CAN FIND A WALK NEARBY AND WE WILL HAVE BEEN 8,000 PEOPLE THAT WILL COME OUT AND THE GOAL IS TO RAISE $1.25 MILLION. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK BUT IT IS CRITICAL. THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING IS WHAT IS DRIVING PROGRESS. IT IS HOW WE'LL END M.S. MEGAN: DOCTOR, I SEE YOU AT ONE OF THE WALKS EVERY YEAR AND I HAVE INTERVIEWED A LOT OF YOUR PATIENTS. IT MUST MEAN SO MUCH TO THEM TO SEE THE COMMUNITY COME OUT AND RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS FOR A CAUSE. IT IS A GREAT EVENT. WALKMS.ORG. GO TO THE SITE, COME OUT TO THE WALK. THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR RESEARCH AND WE ARE DOING THINGS LIKE REPAIR THE COATING AROUND THE NERVES TO HELP PEOPLE GET BETTER. THERE IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT. MEGAN: THERE'S A LOT WAY TO GO BUT A LOT OF HOPE. ABSOLUTELY. MEGAN: THERE IS A GREAT WAY FOR PEOPLE I KNOW PATIENTS WHO ARE NEW I DIAGNOSED HAVE SAID IT MEANS SO MUCH TO GO TO THE WALKS AND SEE SO MANY PEOPLE. ONE THING WE TALK ABOUT IT IS NOT JUST FUND-RAISING BUT THE LARGES LARGES -- LARGEST GATHERING OF THOSE PEOPLE. ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS AND CAREGIVERS. WE TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON THE FAMILY UNIT IN TOTAL. IT IS A CHANCE TO COME TOGETHER AND MEET OTHERS DEALING WITH THE SAME CHALLENGES AND BUILD THOSE CONNECTIONS. MEGAN: THANK YOU FOR COMING IN