[Counter-Strike 2] Living with Brain Disease: A Family’s Journey and a Call for Research

[Smeily GFX.]

December 10, 2024 — 6 min read
 

 

After years of symptoms, Michelle received her own diagnosis of cervical dystonia. Cervical dystonia is a neurological disorder in which the brain signals specific muscles, primarily around the neck and shoulders, to contract. These contractions cause pain and muscle stiffness.

“I just thought I always had really, really tight muscles,” she says. “I tried physical therapy. I tried acupuncture, massage, meditation, massage guns.” When she finally got the right diagnosis, Michelle was relieved — not only that she knew what it was, but also that there was an effective treatment.

 

Michelle’s treatment has improved the quality of her life and deepened her resolve to help others. “What I love about the American Brain Foundation is that we’re looking across the spectrum of all brain diseases,” she says. “It really means a lot to me, as my family has suffered from several different kinds of brain disease, MS, stroke.”

Why Research Matters

Michelle’s personal experiences reinforce her dedication to brain disease research. “Brain diseases are very prevalent. The chances that you or someone that you love and care about have or will have a brain disease are close to 100%,” she says. “What we know is the pathway forward to finding cures, breakthroughs, new treatments, new medications, is through research.”

Michelle’s story illustrates how the Foundation’s work to fund research across all brain diseases has the power to improve lives. She believes that with advancements in research, her father’s MS could have been more manageable, and her mother’s outcome after her strokes might have been different.

 

“Every neuroscientist and neurologist that I talk to feels that we are on this precipice of incredible discoveries,” she says. “It’s a really exciting time when we think about the potential of curing certain brain diseases and [developing] really extraordinary new treatments that can improve the quality of people’s lives dramatically.”

Double Your Impact

Until the end of the year, donations to the American Brain Foundation will be matched dollar-for-dollar, providing an opportunity to double your impact. That means your gift of $25 becomes $50, $100 turns into $200, and $5,000 is now $10,000.

“I think it’s important for folks to know there’s something they can do,” Michelle says. “The only way we can do research is with funding. That is the bottom line. Funding these brilliant scientists

 

is one of the most important things that we [can do]. It’s only through that research that we can find cures and new treatments.”

Michelle encourages supporters to give what they can, emphasizing that every contribution supports researchers working toward breakthroughs that could change lives. “Whether a donation is large or small, every single investment in that research matters,” she says. “You may not be able to do everything, but you can do something, and that something matters.”

 

The American Brain Foundation is committed to finding cures for brain diseases. Donate today to make a difference. With your help, we can all experience life without brain disease.

 

https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/living-with-brain-disease-a-familys-journey-and-a-call-for-research/