10th Annual AS4MS

Support the 10th Annual AS4MS!! Tickets are on sale at BullMoose! Only ten dollars!

Saturday April 5, WHSN and the National MS society will be hosting the annual AS4MS benefit concert for muscular sclerosis. It's only ten dollars for tickets and there will be great bands all evening long. The ten dollars goes to people battling with MS in Maine. Everybody know's somebody who is living with MS, or MS took someone that you loved. www.Whsn-fm.com

For me, this is a very special event and I do it to honor a friend that I had for many, many years. I am also doing the walk for MS, if anyone would like to sponsor me, or give a donation to the cause. It's my way to remember Nick and earn money in hopes that it will help the researchers someday find a cure, so maybe you wont have to lose that special friend in the future, you never know what will happen in a lifetime.

I had a dear friend named Nick, and MS took his life. Growing up, he was athletic. He played lots of sports, hockey was his passion. It wasn't until after graduating high school and shooting around with friends on the ice one day, his legs started to feel wobbly. After some progression, and weak muscles he went to the doctors. Nick later found out that he was one of the people living with MS. His illness progressed very quickly, and it was very sad to watch him have to give up things that he loved because he could no longer do them.

I was pretty close with Nick growing up. A few years after graduating high school, I started dating Nick's brother Aaron, so Nick became like another brother to me. Aaron and Nick were very close and it really hurt Aaron to watch his brother go through this. He watched him try and fail at things that he could do with out even thinking about before the doctor told him those dread words.

Aaron began going to the local bars more often, and drinking very heavily as Nick got worse. I would go with Aaron sometimes, because he would drink to the point of stupidness, or until he fell off a bar stool or punched someone, so I would take my turn watching over him. Other times, I would stay home with Nick and have a beer with him and play cards because being wheelchair bound it was hard to make your way through the pub and the weekend high school reunion type get together's that could be found at the popular bars in my town. I didn't want Nick to feel like nobody wanted to hangout with him, even though he knew deep down that he was loved by many, many people. He understood that people wanted to socialize and mingle as they we young adults.

I spent many Friday and Saturday nights with Nick playing cards and watching hockey. I also tried to get as many people to come over on the weekends or whenever they had time instead of going out because Nick liked to have a good time too, but was limited to where he could go. Most people kept him entertained and most of the time he had company. Even if he didn't have anyone, he wouldn't have held any resentments. He dealt with MS in a way that makes you feel honored to be friends with him.

Nick knew that he didn't have much more time with his family and friends. It was hard to see him progressively get worse. Near the end I didn't see Nick as much because I was living away when he passed away. Nick died from complications from treatment.  Aaron and I had gone our separate ways and I was in North Carolina in 2011 when he went. The news was still shocking and hit me hard, but deep down I knew that he wasn't suffering anymore. I have a few things of Nick's, especially some books. At certain times of the year I read them to remember!

I hope that after hearing about the courageous, kind, enthusiastic person he was, and all the other wonderful people out there that unfortunately have to go through the same thing, that you will help this cause in whatever way suits you. You could contact Mark Nason to join the walk, sponsor someone already doing it, or spend ten dollars for the AS4MS benefit concert on Friday, April 5th at the Gracie Theater!