Who gets MS?

Anyone can get MS. It usually happens to people who are older than 15 and younger than 40. Doctors and scientists don't know yet what the cause of MS is.

Sometimes people feel guilty or think that something they did may have caused MS to happen to them or to someone in their family. They shouldn't feel this way because no one is to blame; it isn't anybody's fault. Nothing you do can make MS happen. It is something that just happens in life and we can't control it.

What we can do is try to understand it and the changes it brings.

"At first I really didn't understand MS. I just knew it was a disease that doesn't go away. I didn't really think about it too much because it made me unhappy. I learned more about MS from the MS Society and now I feel better and can talk about it."

Things may change…

No one likes MS but it's not all bad either. Sometimes, when something different like illness happens, it adds something to our lives that we wouldn't have had otherwise. You and your family are special - they're not like any other family in the world. Your family includes a person who doesn't always feel great and who might sometimes need extra help. Even if this is hard sometimes, it can also make your family feel very close because of the giving, sharing and caring you do together.

"My dad and I used to throw the baseball back and forth in the back yard. He can't do that anymore but he does watch me play baseball with my friends and sometimes gives me good tips. I like that. "

Even if your parent can't teach you to play ice hockey or go for long hikes with you, there are many things you can share…many things you can talk and think about together… many things you can learn from each other. If your mother or father is home during the day, you may have extra time to spend together.

Helping each other through the hard times and the good times can teach you a lot about people.

"I'd tell other kids who just found out that their mom has MS that it's not as bad as you think. She'll still be your mother - the same person you know. You don't have to worry about it so much."