This Is What MS Looks Like Foundation
Donella Speaks
Donella Speaks
Changing the culture of therapy through transformational talks and keynotes !
Hello, I am Donella Gachett, iPEC. I am a MS survivor, Licensed Minister, an MS Awareness Advocate & Certified Life/Wellness coach
Walk MS: Akron 2019
Our most recent walk was Sunday, May 5, 2019. Click here for more info.
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6 Dimensions of Wellness
6 Dimensions of Wellness
- Spiritual
- Environmental
- Emotional
- Intellectual
- Physical
- Social
Are You Aware of What Multiple Sclerosis Is?
Are You Aware of What Multiple Sclerosis Is?
Many people are suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), but do not know what it is or how to manage it. As an MS patient, I DONELLA GACHETT, founded This Is What MS Looks Like Foundation to spread MS awareness.
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Walk with us!
Walk with us!
on Sunday, May 3, 2020
Walk MS brings together a community of passionate people for one powerful cause to end MS forever.
With every step we take and every dollar we raise... we're that much closer.
Together, we are stronger than MS.
My Project Benefits for My Neighborhood and the City
My Project Benefits for My Neighborhood and the City
In today’s medical discoveries, there are many reasons light should be shed on the epidemic of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) arising in African Americans. But first, we must understand what MS is and how damaging it can be physically and mentally. Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that eats away the protective outer layer of the nerves causing pain, fatigue, inflammation, and constant mood swings.
This disease requires different medications, hospital visits, and psychotherapy because it’s that crippling for some, if not all who have it. For many years, MS has only been diagnosed in women, men & of European descent because all races & nationalities mainly focused on that particular genetic group.
As for recent studies, it has been shown that MS strikes almost 50% of African Americans, nearly mirroring the medical ancestry background of Northern Europeans. Shockingly enough, there have been hundreds of cases of MS appearing in African Americans because so many have been misdiagnosed due to it only being considered a predominantly Caucasian terminal disorder.
Although its cause remains unknown, on average, over 40% of African-American families have a history of MS. As many as 50% of people living with MS fall into a deep depression. As you can imagine, those same people with MS are twice as likely to attempt suicide and twice as successful in their attempts.
MS Education and Awareness Are
the Key
This Is What MS Looks Like Foundation is not a traditionally tangible project as that of one which beautifies a community with gardens or fresh coats of paint. I know personally that a project like this one could help to beautifully and heal an entire community that may have fallen through the cracks of pain management.
Not every pain inducing ailment requires an opioid prescription, steroids, or even high dosages of ibuprofen. However, with education and awareness, accurate autoimmune diseases can be accurately diagnosed. My goal is to direct those living in pain to a neurologist versus a pain management doctor. With this simple shift of awareness, lives could be saved.
MS Over 14 Years Ago
Before this accurate medical diagnose came about when I was 28, I myself experienced multiple inaccurate medical diagnoses. Because I was just 17 when my problems began to worsen, I was diagnosed with things that were believed to affect teenage African-American females.
Although I never had conditions like juvenile arthritis or breast cancer, that didn’t prevent medical professionals from inaccurately diagnosing me with such things. It also didn't prevent them from prescribing me tons of high dosages of ibuprofen and steroids to counter my pain or my frequent episodes of illness that I was experiencing.
Sad and confused, I grew up depressed and distraught as to why nothing was helping me. As a youth, I sat in many group sessions for young girls battling depression. Most of my closest friends knew nothing of my illness or of my depression. They termed me the “cancel queen” because I often had to cancel plans. However, one wore a bigger masked smile than me! I always appeared happy.
Because it would have been much too early in my journey to hear of the term “MS squeeze,” I was only aware that I felt worse after any food consummation. It was my belief that food made me ill. I started making pain management accommodations for myself by limiting my food intake.
In order to eliminate pain and weakness, I started making accommodations for myself. I soon developed an eating disorder, which only made things worse. Under the instruction of a doctor who believed I had early stage breast cancer, I underwent a breast biopsy surgery to remove what was believed to be a tumor from my right breast at just 23 years old.
I never want anyone to endure what I did on my search for healing and wellness. That is why this project will include a multitude of recourse to prevent that by providing:
- Education
- Awareness
- Informational Access to Professional Doctors
- Community Health Workers
- Therapists
- Ministers
- Accurately Updated Pamphlets
- Counselors
- Discussions
- Inclusively Accurate Informational Pamphlets Regarding MS Treatments, Seminars, and Recourses
This project would directly benefit my neighborhood because it’s a predominantly African-American neighborhood. By merely offering accessibility without exclusion with the exploitation of these resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet patient needs aspirations to those who may be diagnosed with a disease or learn how to properly care for a loved one as a result of this new program.
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Balancing Sustainability for MS Awareness
Sustainability for this project will be balanced by illuminating the vast medical resources that MS already provides to its many patients. Knowledge is often empowering. Educating the entire community about something that could very well be affecting them will be an aspirating experience.
Currently, there are mass percentages of the African-American population in the city of Akron as well as all cities, states, and nations who do not even know that they have this disease. Multiple sclerosis is the most widespread disabling neurological condition of young adults around the world.
Although MS can manifest itself at any age, most people receive diagnoses between the ages of 20 to 50 years old. Of those, African Americans have a 45% higher risk. This rate of diagnosis is twice as high in northern states.
Neurology and neuroscience advancements are growing rapidly in response to multiple sclerosis protection in the state of Ohio overall. MS advancements are already gaining progress by the process of maintaining change in a balanced process.
Bridging the gap by expanding knowledge to my community and offering accurate information, providing necessary and right educational opportunities regarding this often terminal disease is vital. The city of Akron as well as all cities, states, and nations have been influential in so many meaningful movements. This too will be a wonderful opportunity to bridge the gap between all races by not eliminating African Americans who are battling MS.
For all voices to be heard, current information must supersede this process. Testing should be recommended. Many have been in the painful shadows long enough. This will be an inclusively amazing opportunity for all. Many have been in the painful shadows. As an MS patient who has experienced the confusion and trauma of misdiagnosis for over 14 years, I think this has been long enough.
What You Can Do
I would like to invite you to join Walk MS: Akron 2019 and help spread MS awareness and positivity to our community. Find out more about this disease when you book me for group and motivational speaking engagements related to MS. You may also be involved in this project by making a donation. Contact me via phone or email for more details.