ALUMNI STORY OF A SON
I had always had hopes of starting a family. My wife Angie and I had been trying for a year when I was hit with something unexpected - a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. I am an intense person and when the news came my brain went wild. I am also a fighter and I made a commitment to not let MS define me. There is only One who deserves to define. My diagnosis may be a part of my story, but it will not be what sums up my life. It did, however, shake my confidence about having children, so I decided that it might be best to stop trying. That decision would only last until I met my
neurologist a couple weeks later. He asked me if I wanted to have kids. I told him my fears about starting a family and that I refused to have my wife work full time, take care of kids, and eventually have to take care of me. He listened supportively and introduced me to my nurse, Sophie. Sophie worked full-time, had two sons, and had been living with MS since 2006. As I got emotional, my doctor told me how hopeful he was and that he thought I was going to do very well. Three months later, my wife was pregnant with our son, Micah. I started serving with the National MS
Society and was nominated as Ambassador for a WalkMS event here in the Sacramento area. Speaking at the starting line this summer, I was able to share my story to encourage those affected by MS. The big finish? I closed by bringing up my son Micah and introducing him. The event just so happened to be on his 1st birthday.
"I HAD STEPPED INTO A COLLEGE WHERE PEOPLE WEREN’T SIMPLY TRYING TO SURVIVE; THEY WERE BEING EQUIPPED TO THRIVE."
JESSUP MAGAZINE 29
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