The question of how much – if anything – any of us living with multiple sclerosis is obligated to do for the cause is one of personal willingness. When famous people get MS, many of us change our tune and simply expect that they will give of their time, money and talent for the cause. I’ve always said that such a gift would be great but it’s none of my business.
Now we take someone who is one – albeit a small ‘one’ – degree of separation from the disease, I’d say that any expectation of requirement or obligation is just chucked out the window.
That’s why I think that the new Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic at the University of Edinburgh, conceived and funded by Harry Potter author, JK Rowling – daughter of Anne, whodied from complications of MS at age 45 – is noteworthy.
When her £10,000,000 donation turned into a royally attended opening (in the quite Royal sense of the word as Ann, HRH The Princess Royal), Ms. Rowling didn’t give a flowery speech or make it about her in any way. She applauded the unveiling, she was thanked by a number of dignitaries and researchers and, well there was a PRINCESS at the thing!
Her simple statement that was given to press said that she was “elated to see the clinic formally open.” And that had “watched the clinic from the planning stages to being fully built and now ready to open” and how very proud she was of it, and to see her mother’s name on the clinic.
Some in the MS community grumbled when Rowling wasn’t living up to their hopes when word first reached us that the author had a connection to MS. As sales of the Potter books reached as high as a hippogriff can fly, more people began to assert that it was her “responsibility” to do more, say more and to be more for our cause. I think those voices can now be silenced.
The Anne Rowling Clinic is slated to delve deeply into the cause of progression and the ways to slow this disease. Prof Siddharthan Chandran, professor of neurology and co-director of the clinic, may have said it best in his opening remarks; “Only by better understanding the biological processes behind these devastating diseases can we identify new targets for potential therapies and take them into clinical trials.”
Knowledge is power and, as the character of Arthur Weasley, in Rowling’s books once said, “Truth will out!”
I say, ‘thank you’ once again to JK Rowling for doing more than her fair share and doing so in grand, yet humble fashion.
Wishing you and your family the best of health.
Cheers
Trevis
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http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/trevis-gleason-life-with-multiple-sclerosis/author-jk-rowling-contributes-to-the-ms-cause/?xid=aol_eh-ms_5_20131104_&aolcat=AJA&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl30%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D401335
