PORTLAND, Maine — One Massachusetts woman is on a mission to raise money for a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS) at the 38th annual Portland Harborfest.
When Lori Espino, 54, started working for the Greater New England National Multiple Sclerosis Society, her goal was to help others.
Espino never would have thought that she herself would be diagnosed with the disease two years later.
Espino says when she got the news, it made her feel better knowing that so many people live with it.
“I had seen people running marathons and seeing people live very well, I knew it was a variable so it's just the luck of the draw." Said Espino.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the disease disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.
Since Espino's diagnosis, she's made it her mission to find a cure.
"With the new medications and all the money that we raised in the state of Maine and across the country, we've really been able to change people's quality of life." Said Espino.
At this weekend's Harborfest, the foundation is looking to raise $50,000.
Espino says that MS impacts thousands of Mainers, and its prevalence here is among the highest in the nation. She says there's still a question as to why that is.
"We've worked really hard to make sure there is access to health care professionals that we have good clinics here and we have places for people to go." Said Espino.
She says that these type of events give people a way to help, and gives hope to those who deal with it every day.
