These are the numbers, but behind every single one is a real woman who walked away from this series knowing more about her own body than she did before.

209 of you showed up live across two sessions of our Understanding and Managing Relapses in Multiple Sclerosis series, from 24 different states, and the conversations in those rooms were the kind you don’t get in a 15-minute neurology appointment. Before this series, 51% of you said you weren’t confident you could tell the difference between a true relapse and a pseudo-relapse. After? 95.8% of you said you could. That matters, because knowing the difference is what gets you on the phone with your neurologist at the right time instead of second-guessing yourself for three weeks. 85% of you had never heard of smoldering MS. By the end, nearly 98% understood what disease progression looks like. And every single one of you left saying you felt confident tracking your symptoms, knowing when to act, and having real conversations with your care team about your options. One of you said something that stuck with us: “I plan to advocate for myself better. Prior to this program, I never spoke up, whether it was asking about a medication change or not agreeing with a certain form of treatment.” This is why our organization matters, and why your support matters. Every program we build is free, culturally relevant, and made specifically for Black women living with MS, lupus, and NMOSD. None of it is free to produce, and none of it happens without the people who believe in this community enough to fund it. When you donate, this is exactly what you’re making possible. Give at weareillms.com/donate 97.1% overall satisfaction. 95.6% said it reflected your lived experience. This is what community-centered education looks like. Sponsored by ANI Pharmaceuticals and Novartis, in partnership with Shepherd Center. #WeAreILLMatic #MSRelapse #MultipleSclerosis #BlackWomenWithMS #ChronicIllnessCommunity