Dear (and despised) multiple sclerosis: the first thank you letter to the disease

Inspiring positive reflections and fostering hope for individuals living with multiple sclerosis by raising awareness and educating the public about the disease while honoring the resilience and determination of those affected by it.

On the occasion of National Multiple Sclerosis Day, two volunteers from our Foundation in the Madrid office, both children of people affected by MS, reached out to the Spanish Multiple Sclerosis Association (AEDEM) to carry out a joint, innovative, and bold initiative: the First Thank You Letter to a Disease.

As one might expect, the goal was not to thank multiple sclerosis for entering their lives but rather to raise awareness of the disease, expand public knowledge about it, and also encourage a positive perspective as much as possible. Given that multiple sclerosis (MS) is still incurable, both medical advances and a positive attitude from those affected are essential.

Julio and Carlota, the founders of the initiative, began by writing their own thank-you letters to multiple sclerosis. They later created a website to collect all the letters written by anyone connected to the disease (patients, family members, friends, caregivers, acquaintances, neurologists, etc.), highlighting the disease’s positive impacts on their lives.

Among the most surprising letters were the love story of writer Frank M. López and his wife, who has MS, the letter from Ramón Arroyo, a famous Ironman athlete and MS patient featured in the film 100 Metros, and the letter of reunion from Gerardo Garcia, president of Spanish Association of Multiple Sclerosis (AEDEM), written by his wife, Lola.

The campaign garnered 40 media hits, including outlets like El País, Agencia EFE, Cope, and Ser. Additionally, 80 letters were sent out, generating nearly 3,000 impressions on social media and attracting 3,000 visits to our website.