Please meet some of our amazing MS Warriors right here in Iowa.
If you feel so moved, please don't hesitate to donate on their behalf by simply clicking donate at the top of the screen!
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Jeff CookAs the Pedal for a Moment Grand Marshall, Jeff Cook is also an Army veteran, husband, cat dad (Tink) and fundraiser living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Just like many other people with MS who suffer from difficult symptoms of MS, Jeff has issues with both cognitive and physical capabilities. Aside from the spasticity, foot drop and chronic pain he feels, he also finds it challenging to focus on more than one task. “It is very difficult to multi-task,” he says. “I can only concentrate on one task at a time, and I have to be mindful about how hard I push myself as I only so much energy to do so many tasks.” |
Despite these troubles, Jeff admits that having MS has presented rewarding moments. While he’s lost the ability to do many activities he once enjoyed, like running, he’s also met many incredible people who will be life-long friends and receives assistance with health services that he’d otherwise not be able to access.
“When they’re able to happen [outside of COVID restrictions], the monthly MS Moments meetings are a great social gathering to keep me in touch with others,” he explains. Being around others helps him to cope by talking and relating to others.
The grants MS Moments offers also allows Jeff to receive massages, which helps with spasticity, tightness and pain he suffers from MS. It also helps him to relax from mental and physical stress. “To some people, massage and acupuncture may be a luxury. But to me, both are a vital piece of my health care puzzle.”
Jeff recognizes the value of donors who support the grants MS Moments provides for the important benefits they offer to entire families.
“MS Moments is one of the few organizations that not only provides services for the person with MS, but also the family members. It is just as important for caregivers and spouses to be able to relax and gain the same benefits from the grants provided.”
“When they’re able to happen [outside of COVID restrictions], the monthly MS Moments meetings are a great social gathering to keep me in touch with others,” he explains. Being around others helps him to cope by talking and relating to others.
The grants MS Moments offers also allows Jeff to receive massages, which helps with spasticity, tightness and pain he suffers from MS. It also helps him to relax from mental and physical stress. “To some people, massage and acupuncture may be a luxury. But to me, both are a vital piece of my health care puzzle.”
Jeff recognizes the value of donors who support the grants MS Moments provides for the important benefits they offer to entire families.
“MS Moments is one of the few organizations that not only provides services for the person with MS, but also the family members. It is just as important for caregivers and spouses to be able to relax and gain the same benefits from the grants provided.”
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Karrie AndersonKarrie Anderson is the founder of MS Moments who tirelessly advocates for Iowa families living with Multiple Sclerosis. As a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt and friend living with Multiple Sclerosis for more than eight years, Karrie's advocacy efforts span from Iowa to Washington, DC.
Karrie's passion for helping people reached a pinnacle while coping with her diagnosis and making the transition from her demanding corporate management role to being a full-time mom. Her desire to turn a life-altering diagnosis into something positive and rewarding for herself and others has become her life's purpose. |
Karrie is an Associate at Woodland Hills Elementary School in Waukee, Iowa. She lives in Urbandale, Iowa with her husband, Cris, and son, Kellen who is a Freshman at Prairieview Middle School and works at Hy-Vee! They all adore their soft coated wheaten terriers, Maggie and Wrigley and their Australian Shepard, Zeus.
MS Moments has provided health club memberships, medical massage, acupuncture and educational dinners to Karrie and her family. "While MS Moments has offered our family amazing grants, the opportunity to help other Iowa families living with MS has been life changing and my ultimate honor," Karrie says. "Seeing these families get out of their homes, engaging in their communities and calling them MS Moments families is a dream come true."
She is an avid Cubs, Illinois and Chiefs fan - and she will even root for Iowa and Iowa State as long as they aren’t playing Illinois! Karrie is grateful for MS Moments' Board of Directors who are all 100% volunteers. In addition, she is thankful for every family MS Moments serves, the partners who provide services to our families, volunteers, donors and a special thank you to our friends at Mercy Ruan Neurology!
MS Moments has provided health club memberships, medical massage, acupuncture and educational dinners to Karrie and her family. "While MS Moments has offered our family amazing grants, the opportunity to help other Iowa families living with MS has been life changing and my ultimate honor," Karrie says. "Seeing these families get out of their homes, engaging in their communities and calling them MS Moments families is a dream come true."
She is an avid Cubs, Illinois and Chiefs fan - and she will even root for Iowa and Iowa State as long as they aren’t playing Illinois! Karrie is grateful for MS Moments' Board of Directors who are all 100% volunteers. In addition, she is thankful for every family MS Moments serves, the partners who provide services to our families, volunteers, donors and a special thank you to our friends at Mercy Ruan Neurology!
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Jessica IsaacsonMost moms of children under five will tell you, there’s no such thing as “rest”. But for Jessica Isaacson, whose daughter is in kindergarten and son is nearly three, finding down time isn’t an option.
After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in August of 2017 at the age of 27, Jessica has had to learn the hard way to stay in tune with her body and listen when it’s telling her to slow down. “As a young mom, this can be difficult,” Jessica admits. With a history as a dancer and cheerleader, Jessica’s biggest challenges with MS have been trouble with balance and joint pain. “I’ve had to learn to give myself grace,” she says. She’s thankful that MS Moments helps her entire family gym memberships, so she can also take her husband, a firefighter, and the children. She’s also able to take yoga classes, which helps her maintain a healthy lifestyle. “I am very grateful to MS Moments because they raise money to help provide me with outside resources to live my best life,” she says. “These resources help to keep me active which also helps to stop the progression of this disease.” |
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Cathy BarashIn the nearly 40 years since she was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Cathy Wilkinson Barash has experienced a rollercoaster of symptoms, emotions and hope for what is possible.
“In the 1980s, there were no treatments for MS,” Cathy says. “The neurologist who diagnosed me told me to come in once a month so he could check my decline.” In a wise move, she did not return to that doctor, and since that time, she’s received a variety of treatments as research and awareness of MS has improved over the years. While she’s experienced relapses that have at times significantly limited her abilities, she remains optimistic. “I’m hopeful because there are so many more treatments for MS now,” she says, and her dreams include a way to reverse the damage caused by MS and rebuild the myelin, which protects nerves. In the meantime, Cathy credits the support she receives from MS Moments in helping her cope physically, mentally and socially. |
“Physically, I am affected by not only the heat, but also by the cold. Although I love to garden, it is hard to work outside in the summer.” Brain fog she experiences has been further exacerbated after contracting COVID-19. MS Moments covers the costs of alternative treatments for her, including yoga, acupuncture and massage, which help her both mentally and physically.
As a freelance garden and food writer, author of 16 books, and single parent to two cats, Pause (16) and Itty Bitty Kitty (5, a Maine Coon and not-so-itty bitty), getting out socially is also important to Cathy’s well-being, though she admits it can be difficult, especially since the beginning of the pandemic.
“I don’t always know how I’m going to feel, as I do have fatigue. It can be hard to make plans and keep them,” she explains. The pandemic and the need to social distance hasn’t helped either, and she misses the two support groups she led, MS Movers and Shakers and the Underground Lunch Group, which have been paused since March 2020.
Cathy says it’s important for MS Moments donors to know their support provides much needed health, education and social opportunities not only for the person with MS, but for the whole family. Health insurance does not typically cover or contribute to gym memberships, yoga, massages, and acupuncture, which helps patients with symptoms and provides opportunities to keep them active alongside their families.
“I have friends all over the country who have MS, and none of them have a program like MS Moments available to them. It is unique to the Des Moines metropolitan area, and I am lucky to be a part of it. Without people’s generous donations, there would be so much missing from my life—especially the friends I have made.”
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Yvonne Jones-CowlesWhen Yvonne Cowles was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2011, she discovered that she would need to operate at a completely different speed. “I can not just go and go all day like I used to,” she says. “I can do a lot, but it takes me longer to do it.”
For someone who was used to being on-the-go, Yvonne admits the slower pace MS forces upon her is frustrating. Both physically and mentally, she is challenged every day to stay positive and keep moving. “It takes me a long time just to clean my house, which puts me in a bad mental state of mind,” she explains. “I still push myself to do physical things, but I pay for it the next day. My body aches like no other, and that frustrates me.” |
Yvonne credits MS Moments for helping her maintain a stronger mental state of mind while also retaining her sense of worth. MS Moments helps her connect with others who can relate to her struggles, provide activities she can attend, and offers financial support for health services like massage, which gives her relief from the stiffness and pain her body endures.
“MS Moments has been a life saver,” she says. “Getting together with the MS Moments family is precious. We can just share stories, share a meal, and share laughs. I believe laughing is a must for my mental health.”
Yvonne also recognizes the importance of the donors and volunteers who keep MS Moments running. It’s those people who help her to know that she is important and worth supporting. “People who make donations, whether monetary or their time, let me know that people still care about people.
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Matt DowieMatt Dowie has no trouble remembering the date he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis: April 6, 2018.
“I remember the exact day because it was the day before my 26th birthday,” he says. Because he was young before his diagnoses, Matt admits not thinking much about what life would be like when he was older. Now, living with MS as a husband and father of two, those thoughts are part of every day. “I want to do what I can now so that I can enjoy life with my wife as we age and my kids as they grow up,” he explains. |
At the time he was diagnosed, Matt could not balance standing on one foot for more than a couple seconds and would often bump into walls around the house from the inability to control his body. Through financial assistance from MS Moments, Matt has been able to participate in CrossFit, a combination of exercise and nutrition that has been pivotal to improving his strength and coordination. Matt says the support from MS Moments is critical because he would not otherwise be able to afford the program.
“With CrossFit and staying active, I have been able to rebuild those connections in my brain and nervous system to really improve my ability to do life the way I want to do life,” he says.
Part of “doing life” for Matt includes giving back through the nonprofit he started with his wife called Yoke Ministries. The organization provides care packages to people living with MS while they receive medical treatments, which Matt has personally experienced to be both emotionally and physically difficult.
“For me, it is a reminder every month that I am different than I used to be,” Matt explains. “I have to pause my life to get powerful drugs pumped into my body; not for the hope of a cure, but to keep my body from attacking itself. It can be a tough day, and we know others are going through the same thing.”
Matt credits MS Moments and the donors that support the organization for the improvements he’s made physically as well as his desire to help others through his own nonprofit.
“To be honest, I don’t think I would do CrossFit if it wasn’t for the help of MS Moments,” he says. “You also have the community aspect of what MS Moments brings to the table. They welcomed us with open arms and have always been there to answer questions, provide great knowledge and insights, and to help us not take life too seriously.”
“With CrossFit and staying active, I have been able to rebuild those connections in my brain and nervous system to really improve my ability to do life the way I want to do life,” he says.
Part of “doing life” for Matt includes giving back through the nonprofit he started with his wife called Yoke Ministries. The organization provides care packages to people living with MS while they receive medical treatments, which Matt has personally experienced to be both emotionally and physically difficult.
“For me, it is a reminder every month that I am different than I used to be,” Matt explains. “I have to pause my life to get powerful drugs pumped into my body; not for the hope of a cure, but to keep my body from attacking itself. It can be a tough day, and we know others are going through the same thing.”
Matt credits MS Moments and the donors that support the organization for the improvements he’s made physically as well as his desire to help others through his own nonprofit.
“To be honest, I don’t think I would do CrossFit if it wasn’t for the help of MS Moments,” he says. “You also have the community aspect of what MS Moments brings to the table. They welcomed us with open arms and have always been there to answer questions, provide great knowledge and insights, and to help us not take life too seriously.”
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Kim StroehAfter Kim Stroeh was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2012, she felt like she had to rebuild her life from ashes.
“I had to quit my job that I loved. I have to limit my daily activities due to fatigue. Most of the skills that I depended on—my brain, energy, tenacity— were taken away,” she says. “Now if I can get out of bed, walk and talk, it’s a good day.” Because of the daily fluctuations of her MS symptoms, Kim is never sure what challenges she’ll face. At the beginning of this summer, her cognition was so bad she had to read books for children ages 8-12 because she couldn’t understand books at higher levels. |
“MS can be very isolating, so it’s important to reach out to others and not allow myself to craw in a hole away from society,” she says.
For this reason, Kim is thankful for the support MS Moments provides to her family (husband Mike, dog Luna, cat Betty and fancy goldfish Hidden Treasure, Mac and Cheese.)
MS Moments provides Kim with grants for monthly massage sessions and a gym membership, which helps with her pain and keeps her moving. When massage therapists were not allowed to work last year due to COVID, it took months for Kim to recover from the pain massages typically help her with. She ended up in physical therapy to help improve with movement.
“Massages and the gym membership help me function better physically, emotionally and socially without having to worry about cutting something else out that is vital to my well-being due to cost,” she said.
Kim feels like the best way to cope with MS, while helping others, is to be open, honest and vulnerable.
“If something becomes a barrier, either break it down, go around it, or negotiate with it!”
For this reason, Kim is thankful for the support MS Moments provides to her family (husband Mike, dog Luna, cat Betty and fancy goldfish Hidden Treasure, Mac and Cheese.)
MS Moments provides Kim with grants for monthly massage sessions and a gym membership, which helps with her pain and keeps her moving. When massage therapists were not allowed to work last year due to COVID, it took months for Kim to recover from the pain massages typically help her with. She ended up in physical therapy to help improve with movement.
“Massages and the gym membership help me function better physically, emotionally and socially without having to worry about cutting something else out that is vital to my well-being due to cost,” she said.
Kim feels like the best way to cope with MS, while helping others, is to be open, honest and vulnerable.
“If something becomes a barrier, either break it down, go around it, or negotiate with it!”
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Jamaica McNeeleyNow living with Multiple Sclerosis, Jamaica McNeeley often tries to do things “in case I can’t do it tomorrow.” After being diagnosed in December of 2014, she takes pills daily and runs out of energy much faster than she used to. She says, “MS is always in the back of my mind now.”
Jamaica credits MS Moments for helping her to cope from day one of diagnosis. “In the beginning, when I was terrified of the ‘what ifs’, MS Moments was a place to meet all kinds of people with the same disease and totally different perspectives,” she explains. She found the MS Moments network helped comfort her and keep her from feeling alone. Additionally, the informational meetings provided her with facts around medications, resources for help/care and updates on research findings. “Food and bonding is great for my mental state,” she jokes (not really joking.) “If these wonderful people didn’t exist, there would be one less place to go for information, support and love in this MS journey.” |
Jamaica and her wife, Kira, have been supported with grants for a gym membership and monthly medical massages, which help with the tingling and numbness she struggles with physically. The massages also help her with stress and relaxation, both of which ebb and flow depending on situations and circumstances.
“Large crowds are very overwhelming for me, and I am usually very fatigued after a small amount of time in them,” she explains. “I still love seeing people, I just struggle seeing many people at a time.”
Yet, Jamaica recognizes the good in others, and it keeps her moving forward.
“The selfless acts from people who donate time, energy, money and compassion to things bigger than themselves gives me hope for the future.”
“Large crowds are very overwhelming for me, and I am usually very fatigued after a small amount of time in them,” she explains. “I still love seeing people, I just struggle seeing many people at a time.”
Yet, Jamaica recognizes the good in others, and it keeps her moving forward.
“The selfless acts from people who donate time, energy, money and compassion to things bigger than themselves gives me hope for the future.”
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Margie ScottWhat keeps Margie Scott going after living almost 20 years with Multiple Sclerosis?
“When my grandkids look up at me, smile, and say ‘I love you, Grammy!’”, says the mother of three and grandmother of four. Being involved with her family and working toward a cure for MS are the motivations that Margie needs when staying positive gets difficult. “It can get challenging when I have trouble walking, or if I’m feeling sorry for myself when there are things I can’t do anymore,” she explains. One of the biggest life changes Margie had to make after being diagnosed in 1992 was to close the jewelry business she owned. |
“At that point, I needed to come up with new dreams,” she remembers. And so she did! After re-marrying and having her third daughter, Margie and her new husband created the MARS Foundation to raise funds for MS research.
“It gives me hope when people show up for MARS Foundation events and we raise an incredible amount of money that we are able to give to research to help find a cure for MS,” she explains.
She is also grateful for donors who support MS Moments. “They give people around the state living with MS opportunities to stay active and relieve some stress, pain and stiffness without it being a financial burden,” she says.
She also understands first-hand how the social opportunities benefit mental well-being.
“I have been able to meet some incredible people who I would have never met. I have made some lifelong friendships,” she adds.
“It gives me hope when people show up for MARS Foundation events and we raise an incredible amount of money that we are able to give to research to help find a cure for MS,” she explains.
She is also grateful for donors who support MS Moments. “They give people around the state living with MS opportunities to stay active and relieve some stress, pain and stiffness without it being a financial burden,” she says.
She also understands first-hand how the social opportunities benefit mental well-being.
“I have been able to meet some incredible people who I would have never met. I have made some lifelong friendships,” she adds.
The Mars Foundation
Our friends at The Mars Foundation have been lighting the philanthropy path for well over 20 years! In that time, they have raised well over $1.3 million dollars for MS research and numerous other MS initiatives including MS Moments. We have benefited from monetary gifts exceeding $30,000 over the last three years. Their gifts have helped us support nearly twenty families with grants for amazing services to help them live their very best lives! Thank you to Margie Scott and her entire organization for their continued support of all things MS and MS Moments!