A new budget proposal landed with a thud this month. It hit with the same energy as a surprise fatigue flare on a busy day. The President released the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request, and it included a twelve percent cut to the National Institutes of Health. With the current administration it is easy to get overwhelmed by the issues we care about and how best to speak out. Sometimes you just need to jump in and use your voice. Every advocate starts somewhere, and this was my moment to build momentum.
Why This Matters for People With MS
The NIH drives medical research across the country. Every MS disease modifying therapy available today exists because of NIH funded basic research. Cuts of this size could slow progress. They could also delay new treatments for people who have MS. I care about that because I have MS. I want a future with more options, not fewer.
My Emails to Congress
Yesterday I wrote to my members of Congress in North Carolina. I contacted Senator Ted Budd, Senator Thom Tillis, and Representative Tim Moore, asking them to reject cuts to medical research at the NIH. Additionally, I asked them to support strong funding for the next fiscal year. I kept my message clear and direct. I wanted them to understand why this matters to people with MS.
A few weeks earlier, I wrote to the same three members of Congress. I added my voice to more than one hundred seventy-five MS Activists on Capitol Hill. We advocated for stronger MS research funding and accessible, affordable healthcare. I was proud to join that effort.
Why I Keep Speaking Up
As someone with MS, I know progress does not happen by accident. It happens because people speak up and share their stories. It also happens because people stay involved even when the issues seem complex. I want to help shape a future where people with MS have better treatments and better support. I want to help create a world where fewer people feel confused or alone.
How You Can Help
You can make an impact too. A personalized message to Congress carries more weight than you might think and it doesn’t require a trip to D.C. or comfortable shoes. Your voice helps shape policy, support research, and strengthen the future of MS treatments.
Join me in advocating for a future where people with MS have the resources, research, and care they deserve. Humor optional, impact guaranteed.
Make your voice heard: https://nmss.quorum.us/campaign/160280/
My MS Journey Series
- Homepage: My MS Journey
- Post #1: How My Grandma’s Legendary Fall Shaped My MS Mindset
- Post #2: Choosing MS Treatment with Humor and Panic
- Post #3: How My MS Symptoms Finally Forced Me to Listen
- Post #4: Why I Joined My First MS Research Study
- Post #6: Feeling Like an Inflatable Tube Man at the Grocery Store
- Post #7: My First MRI Update Since Diagnosis: A Surprising Step Forward
- Post #8: Beat Autoimmune: The Six Lifestyle Keys That Changed My MS Journey
- Post #9: My First Ocrevus Infusion and the Three-Year Price Roller Coaster
- Post #10: Sixth Ocrevus Infusion, New Routines, and an Unexpected Family Emergency
- Post #11: The Mono Chapter I Never Expected to Matter
- Post #12: Mean Baby by Selma Blair
- Post #13: The Night I Went Searching for Answers at an MS Patient Event
- Post #14: Discovering the MeSsy Podcast and the Stories That Shape Us
- Post #15: You With The Sad Eyes A Memoir by Christina Applegate
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