A Voice of Compassion and Creativity

One day there was a knock at my door.

I opened it to find a figure standing there. I could not tell if it was male or female. A veil covered its face.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

The figure stood motionless.

“Can I help you?” I said again, louder this time.

Silence.

A sense of unease crept over me.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

“I’m here,” the figure whispered, its voice deep and slow—like a distant echo of something final.

Fear hit me all at once.

“You’d better leave!” I shouted.

The figure turned and walked away. I slammed the door, shaken, my heart pounding.

That was April 7th, 1986.

The day I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

For most of my life, I wanted to write a book—to share, to connect, to make sense of the journey. As the years passed, life brought both extraordinary joys and difficult challenges. Eventually, I began writing them down. This book is the result.

When I was diagnosed with MS, fear was the loudest voice in the room. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what my life would become.

But over time, something changed.

I want those living with MS to know they are not alone. This disease brings both tears and laughter, frustration and unexpected strength. While we cannot control the challenges we face, we can choose how we respond to them.

For those who do not have MS, I hope this book offers a window into what we experience—because some of what happens to our bodies can seem almost unbelievable from the outside.

My hope is that within these pages you will find understanding, compassion, humor, and perhaps even a new perspective.

Think of this book as a conversation—like we’re sitting together over coffee, sharing stories openly and honestly.

Living with MS has made me more resilient. It has forced me to focus on what truly matters, adapt in ways I never expected, and discover strengths I didn’t know I had. It has made me more compassionate, more tolerant, and less critical.

This is the challenge I was given.

This is how I chose to face it.

One saying that has guided me throughout this journey is attributed to Benjamin Franklin:

“Success is how you handle failure.”

This is an excerpt from A Pear in an Apple Tree: A Journey with Multiple Sclerosis.

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When I published my first book, A Pear in an Apple Tree: A Journey with Multiple Sclerosis, in 2022, I

included a segment about how I thought multiple sclerosis would affect my son, James, and our 

family. So many questions ran through my mind:

Will he get MS? ...

MS is not a contagious disease.

***

Could I become too dependent on him if my symptoms worsen? ...

I did not allow my MS to ‘run my life.’

***

Will he resent me if I am unable to function day to day? ...

Everyone, at times, needs to adjust or adapt to a situation or event in life, especially when one feels out of control.

***

Dealing with MS for more than 40 years, I have been able to accomplish many things: travel to all fifty

states, teach for almost forty years, and write this, now my second book—all with the love and support

of my husband and son.

Having a child and having taught numerous grade levels, I realized that children are not given the

credit they deserve. They can be good listeners, very understanding, compassionate, strong, resilient,

and show tremendous love. Children will understand that a wheelchair may be necessary for a

person who cannot walk, or that an afternoon nap may refresh someone to make it through the day.

Adults need to listen to children and know that they can be as supportive and understanding as adults.

Children have a natural desire to help; they are quite amazing, intuitive, and sensitive.

The aim of this book is to present MS in a manner that children will understand. Children of any age

may have a parent, friend, or family member dealing with MS.

This is an excerpt from Mommy is Mizzy: Understanding Multiple Sclerosis: A Together Book for Children and Adults