ON
MY
MIND
A quote for the road …
Joyce walks with usband John.
Over the years I have collected many quotes—most of them given to me by friends and mentors who have advised me in my personal and professional
endeavors. When I married rather
late in life (and admittedly set in
my ways), a good friend shared
with me Douglas Adams’
advice: “It’s better to be happy
than right.” I like that one so
much I try to remind my husband of it often!
But no safe harbors lie ahead. The Society sharpened its focus to assure that our response to MS can
meet the expectations of you, our current members,
and the thousands of future members who will come,
unwillingly, to our doors. You expect expanded
services and programming for those with more pro-
late in life (and admittedly set in my career here at the National MS
e
Nearly 30 years ago when I started
my career here at the National MS
Society, an advisor challenged me with this
quote from William Shedd: “A ship is safe in
harbor but that’s not what ships are for.” I think
this idea, more than any other, helped shape my
experience with the MS movement.
I remember when the timeliness of MS diagnoses,
which traditionally dragged on for years, was exponentially improved with the introduction of MRI in the
mid-1980s. Then the first, second and third disease-modifying therapies were introduced in the 1990s and
four more—including the first infusion and first oral
therapy—came about in this past decade.
Society members became strong and vocal
activists. We insisted that those who set public
policy and determine budgetary priorities remember the challenges that people with MS, and all
who struggle with chronic, progressive conditions
like MS, face every day. And our voices are being
heard. Remarkable risks, remarkable progress.
MARK KIR YLUK
gressed forms of MS, creative research
approaches that tackle secondary- and
primary-progressive MS, and significant
support for bright young scientists and clinicians
to attract and keep them in the MS field.
Turning the leadership of this vibrant commu-
nity over to another will be, like all affectionate
partings, a “sweet sorrow.” But I’ll seek to follow
this advice from my favorite advisor of all, Dr.
Seuss. He said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, be
happy because it happened.”
With great fondness for each of you who gives
so much to bring about a world free of MS.
n
support for bright young scientists and clinicians
Joyce Nelson
President & CEO
The National MS Society
900 South Broadway
Denver, CO 80209
joyce@nmss.org
(Joyce Nelson’s remarkable career concludes Sep-
tember 30, 2011. Visit our Web site and sign up
for eNEWS at
nationalMSsociety.org/signup for
announcement of the Society’s next CEO.)
