Joseph
Adinolfi | Posted: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 11:22 pm
CHESHIRE - Cheshire High School graduate
Kyle Nelson was one of five Connecticut residents to be awarded a $1,500
scholarship from the Hayley's Hope and Michaela's Miracle Multiple Sclerosis
(MS) Memorial Fund during a reception at the Farmington country club on June
8.
For Nelson, the award is a culmination of
three years of advocacy that began with his diagnosis in August 2007 - just
before his football team, the Rams, began pre-season
practice.
"At first I had no idea what it was, and
all my friends that I first talked to didn't really know what it was either,"
said Nelson, who was diagnosed with MS after a case of optic neuritis caused him
to briefly lose the ability to see out of his left eye.
Symptoms persisted for the first six
months after his diagnosis, but Nelson never despaired. He has been symptom-free
since early 2008.
Since his diagnosis, he has helped to
raise about $10,000 for the
Nelson refused to let MS affect his high
school experience. He was a four-year member of the Rams and still plays sports
- including basketball and golf - recreationally with his
friends.
"Staying active has always been a huge
part of my life," Nelson said.
He plans to attend the University of Connecticut School of Business in the fall, and said he's
thinking about majoring in finance.
MS does not hamper Nelson's ability to
live a normal day-to-day life.
"Honestly if you met him, you probably
wouldn't realize that he has a disease," said Karen Butler, vice president of
communications for the National MS Society's
Mark Ecke, head football coach at CHS,
praised Nelson's positive attitude and said that he always remained optimistic
even when he broke his leg during a summer practice before the beginning of his
senior year - forcing him to give up his position as the team's starting
center.
"He's a great kid," said Ecke. "He never
felt sorry for himself."
"He was a great role model for the
underclassmen," Ecke added.
Scholarship applicants submitted an essay
to the National MS Society where a third party then makes selections and
recommendations. Then from those recommendations it goes to the Hayley's Hope
and Michaela's Miracle MS Memorial Fund Committee.
Nelson's essay, titled "I have MS but MS
doesn't have me," reflected his attitude toward his
disease.
"I wrote it from personal experience,"
said Nelson.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune
disease affecting the central nervous system. The myelin sheath that surrounds
the cells becomes damaged and scar tissue builds up, interrupting communication
between the cells.
More than 6,000
Hayley's Hope and Michaela's Miracle MS
Memorial Fund is a fund of the National MS Society's
It was established in 2007 to honor the
memory of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, who had MS, and her daughters Hayley and
Michaela Petit.
(203) 317-2208
http://www.myrecordjournal.com/cheshire/article_d5ead728-84c0-11df-ad02-001cc4c03286.html