Help My Sis Lois Martin Fight Multiple Sclerosis

Hi, my name is Kathe (Stewart) Slavin and my sister is Lois Martin. Lois has lived in Harlan her whole life and she has lived with Multiple Sclerosis for the last 40 years. She was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting MS in 1989 and through the years her MS has steadily taken over her body and has morphed into primary progressive MS.

When Lois was first diagnosed with MS you could hardly tell by looking at her that he had MS and part of that was because she had been chosen to be part of an MS Testing Group by the top Neurologist in the United States, She started on a new drug and she and Dave traveled to Chicago once a month for continuous testing. Years later that drug was the first drug to be approved by the FDA for Multiple Sclerosis.

For many years that drug helped to stop the effects of her MS and slow the progression. It ultimately had put her into remission for a while. But MS is ever changing and the onset of flare ups can happen at any time. As Lois's MS changed from relapsing remitting to primary progressive the drug that had helped her now would no longer work for her. There are actually no drugs available to Lois right now to help her MS. Over the last few years she has had a lot of physical and occupational therapy but that just helps her manage the symptoms of her MS - it does not stop the MS.

Lois's MS mainly affects her left side. It started with decreased strength in her left arm and leg and most people thought she had a "limp" but it was actually her left foot dragging behind. As time went on, she moved on to having to use a cane, then to a scooter sometimes, to being wheelchair bound and unable to walk.

During these times, Dave has remained by her side and has made accommodations to their house, their vehicle and their lives to be able to support Lois and so she has what she needs to continue to live a happy life. When she needed the scooter full time, Dave added a lift to their van to be able to get the scooter in and out of their van. Now that she has progressed to a specialized motorized wheelchair, the lift on the van can no longer support it and it is very difficult for Lois to get from the wheelchair to the front seat of the van.

This is where the “ask" comes in. They need a vehicle that has been customized for a motorized wheelchair so it can be easily loaded and unloaded and additional accommodations to assist Lois getting in and out of the vehicle. These vehicles are expensive. On behalf of Lois and Dave, I ask you to support Lois and Dave and her fight against MS and her fight to continue to be able to enjoy life.

If you know my sister, you know she is a very proud and independent person and asking for help is very hard for her. So please know this decision to ask for help, especially financial help, did not come easy.

This has just been a small snapshot of Lois's journey with MS. There have been so many other obstacles, needle pokes, testing, medicines, hospital stays, doctor visits and hardships but through all of this she has remained positive and continues to relay on God and trust his word.

Thank you for your consideration.