Stratford resident Rosemarie Wright, center, poses with West Hartford residents Alice and Herb Margolis, parents of Susan A. Hyams at MS Vacation Week. Wright, who was diagnosed with MS in 1999, was able to attend after being named the recipient of the Susan A. Hyams Memorial Scholarship
Rosemarie Wright’s speech is impaired, her throat hurts after talking and she uses a wheelchair to get around – all a result of living with multiple sclerosis. But while the disease has impaired her physically, it has not dampened her spirit or her lust for life. At the 2010 MS Vacation Week, Wright and others living with MS were afforded the opportunity to take part in activities their disease had prevented them from doing on a regular basis like singing and swimming. When asked her favorite activity, Wright’s face lit up.
“The dances at night,” she shared. “I love to dance. That’s my favorite part.”
Wright, who lives in a nursing home in Stratford, was diagnosed with MS in 1999. She explained that her first symptoms included being unable to hold onto items, such as coffee mugs, and that her legs would hurt to the point she could barely walk.
Having attended two previous MS Vacation Week events, Wright’s family could not pay for her to attend in 2009 and it was unlikely she was going to be able to attend this year either.
However, Wright was named by the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, as the recipient of the Susan A. Hyams Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship paid the cost of Wright’s attendance as well as the cost of a 24-hour personal care assistant to accompany her.
“I have so much fun when I’m here,” described Wright. “I like everything and it’s so good to be back after missing it last year.”
The Susan A. Hyams Memorial Scholarship is an annual fund established in 2003 by West Hartford resident and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center physician Jeffrey Hyams, M.D., as a tribute to his wife who passed away due to complications related to multiple sclerosis in 2002.
Each year, Susan Hyams’ parents visit MS Vacation Week to meet the scholarship recipient.
“Our daughter loved MS Vacation Week so much we thought it was appropriate that there be a scholarship in her honor,” said Alice Margolis, of West Hartford, who visited Wright with her husband, Herb.
MS Vacation Week took place this year at Easter Seals Hemlocks Recreation Center in Hebron from June 13 to June 18. Camp Hemlocks is specially designed for accessibility and the facility provides a unique environment allowing for independence.
On the morning of Tuesday, June 14, the camp was bustling with activity as guests were able to choose from archery, a beauty day featuring manicures, pedicures and haircuts from the Brio Academy in East Hartford, swimming or aquasizing in an indoor pool and massages provided by the Salter School, based in Massachusetts.
Wright took a relaxing approach to the morning by receiving first a manicure and then a massage. “It felt great,” she succinctly summed up her morning’s activities.
A common refrain from campers at MS Vacation Week is how much they enjoy being with others who live with MS and understand the challenges they face on a daily basis. Wright, for example, lives in a nursing home with elderly people where she is the only one who lives with MS.
“At my home, no one else has MS,” she said. “It’s good to come here and be able to talk to other people with this disease. I like to socialize here.”
More than 6,000 Connecticut residents live with multiple sclerosis, a chronic and often disabling disease of the central nervous system. There currently is no cure. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.
“MS Vacation Week is a rare opportunity for those living with MS to experience fun-filled camp activities, not usually accessible or achievable because of the disabling effects of the disease,” said Lisa Gerrol, Connecticut Chapter president. “We are thankful to Dr. Hyams for his generous support, which annually funds camper fees, personal care assistance and transportation for clients to attend this vital program.”
If you would like to know more about MS Vacation Week or the Susan A. Hyams Memorial Fund, please contact Amy Watkins, assistant chapter programs manager at 860-913-2550, ext. 247, or e-mail awatkins@ctfightsMS.org.
