After having her first attack in December of 2006, Emily Munoz was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. After waking up one morning with the left side of her face numb, she assumed that she ate something the night before and caught an allergic reaction. Letting the day go by and the next morning she woke up with the same numbness and a huge headache, all on the left side of her face and head. Worried of course, she called her mom to find out what could it be.

“I called all of my close friends and them being as worried as I was they demanded that I go to the hospital, so I did. After having an MRI done, I was told it looked like I had MS, Multiple Sclerosis. I had no idea what exactly that meant because I was one of the millions who knew nothing about MS unfortunately. I spent 5 days hospitalized, I was given some steroids to help the numbness go away. On Christmas Eve I was sent home and was able to spend Christmas with my family.”

During my time spent in the hospital I read so much about Multiple Sclerosis and learned a lot about the disease. By reading I learned that the numbness probably wasn’t my first attack and more than likely will not be my last attack. I learned that attacks can be as serious as not being able to walk or move, but I also learned that I will be able to live a normal life with the right treatments. After getting over the emotional affect my diagnosis had caused I decided to be strong and help educate others who knew as little as me about the disease before I was diagnosed. I started with my inner circle, my family and friends; I spoke to them about what exactly was MS and the side effects and symptoms that MS may cause. I loved talking to others who knew about the disease as well, and I knew that being involved would help me stay strong and positive.

One of my first projects was enrolling in the MS WALK; I created a Team and set a goal. I wanted to walk because MS was now a part of my life and with the help of others we can help find a cure and help with treatments. Raising money for such a positive cause can only make me proud, I feel like if I was diagnosed because the walk needed another team, and others needed to be educated about the disease, one that can affect anyone of us. I will walk with about 30 of my friends, and I will continue to be involved as much as possible because I believe that I can help. I mainly walk because I have faith that in time I will be CURED.