SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL — Natasha Acoff was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014. More than a decade later, she's organizing a community walk in Tallahassee to raise awareness and funding for a cure.
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Acoff and her friend Shauna will be among dozens gathering at the North Florida Fairgrounds for "Walk MS Your Way."
"Invisible. I think that's the best way to put it because a lot of us living with MS, you don't see our symptoms. We may feel them on the inside. I may feel tingly. I may feel numbness. I may feel pain," Acoff said.
Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease where the body essentially attacks itself, disrupting communication between the brain and body, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Data reported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society show the disease impacts nearly 1 million people in the U.S., and it is more commonly diagnosed in women.
There is no cure for MS, which is why the walk also aims to raise funding.
The event has raised $4,870 of its $10,000 goal so far.
The walk will also feature at least 20 health and wellness vendors, including chiropractors, massage therapists, and behavioral specialists, a kid’s zone, and food vendors.
"A lot of people don't know about MS, and so we just want to make sure the community knows we are here," Acoff said.
The walk starts at 10:00 a.m. Saturday at the North Florida Fairgrounds.
The City of Tallahassee is also planning to proclaim March as MS Awareness Month on Wednesday.
Acoff says Leon County Government will do the same at the walk on Saturday.
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