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From military man to MS activist
by Stephanie Watson
When naval officers stand watch on a ship, they do
just that—remain standing.
“You don’t sit down because you
want to set the example to your
men and women that you’re in
control, and you’re the lead,”
says 28-year-old Donnie Horner
of Jacksonville, Fla. But in the
summer of 2009, while serving
as an officer on the bridge of
the USS Bonhomme Richard,
Horner suddenly couldn’t
“You have a choice: You can stand on the
sidelines, or you can play in the game—the
game of beating multiple sclerosis.”
stand. His legs felt as if they had
turned to rubber, overcome with
vibrations he couldn’t control.
When the ship returned to the
port in San Diego a few weeks
later, Horner immediately flew
home and saw a neurologist. “I
was having a really hard time
walking. I was panicked,” he
recalls. A series of tests revealed
that Horner had multiple
sclerosis.
JOE SHYMANSKI
MS activists took their passion to Capitol Hill in March 2011. From left to right: Derrick Lee,
Multiple Sclerosis Foundation; Cathy Kerns, MS activist; Donnie Horner, MS activist; Carroll
Franklin, president, Mid Florida Chapter; Jim O’Brien (former Society staff).
