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AARMS Inc. (African-American Resources for Multiple Sclerosis) believes that raising your awareness of Multiple Sclerosis is vital to fully understanding the disease, how it impacts African-Americans and what's available to help. That's why we have gathered a plethora of information to help those fighting this battle. Click here to learn more.
AARMS Inc.
BOARD of DIRECTORS
Board Member
Vanessa Flewellen
Board Member
Guy Williams
Board Member
Serena Williams
Board Member
Sylvia Pritchard
CYNTHIA JAMES
Founder, AARMS Inc.
Co-Chair, National MS Society Central Jersey Community Council
Board Member, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America
African-American Advisory Board
​I’m a proud African-American woman, born and raised in New Jersey—a mother, a grandmother, and the founder of AARMS Inc. After years of hard work, raising a wonderful daughter and looking forward to retirement and the arrival of my first grandchild, I expected to finally enjoy the fruits of my labor.
But life took an unexpected turn. For over 15 years I quietly endured recurring health issues. Fatigue, numbness and physical discomfort came and went — ignored or misdiagnosed by the medical community over and over again. But when my symptoms intensified and became unbearable, I demanded answers.
Finally, a true diagnosis that was shocking: Multiple Sclerosis, "with so many brain lesions, they are uncountable. You’ve had MS for a long time." I was stunned.
When I asked why it took so long to make this diagnose, the response was crushing: “MS isn’t typical in African-Americans.” That moment shattered me—but it also lit a fire.
As I searched for answers, I noticed a painful void. Resources rarely reflected people who looked like me. African-Americans were missing from MS literature, research and even the support spaces I turned to. We weren’t absent because MS didn’t affect us—we were absent because no one was talking about African-Americans or involving African-Americans.
According to the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) (and many others), Multiple sclerosis has traditionally been considered a condition that predominantly affects white people of European ancestry. However, a new analysis conducted by a North American team led by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers suggests that the debilitating neurological condition is more prevalent in Black Americans than once thought. It is also far more prevalent in Northern regions of the country including New England, the Dakotas and the Pacific Northwest.
That’s why I founded AARMS Inc. and launched wegetmstoo.org—to amplify the voices of African-Americans living with MS and to offer tools, support and representation we’ve long been denied. I am committed not only to my own healing, but to the healing of a broader community. MS has changed my life, but it hasn’t taken my spirit. I move forward with faith, strength and purpose greater than myself. If my story reaches just one person who feels unseen, it’s worth telling.
Your diagnosis does not define your worth—your courage does.
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We would love to share your MS
story to encourage others who are fighting MS.
What Is Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body.
Eventually, the disease can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerves. Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected.
Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently or at all, while others may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms. There's no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help speed recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.
Resource: Mayo Clinic
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Credit for Photos: Pixabay/WIX