Hundreds turn out for Walk MS event at Outer Harbor
Walk MS, which has raised over $1 billion for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's mission to cure the disease, kicked off in a new location this year at the Outer Harbor.
Mike Calandra, who was diagnosed with MS six years ago when he was 24, was honored this year.
'I definitely feel blessed,' Calandra said. 'There's a lot of people that are here that have MS that would make great honorees as well. I don't take it lightly that they chose me and I feel very fortunate.'
It was Kimberly Zackey's 10th year participating after she was diagnosed in 2012.
'Since there's so many things with MS that are out of my control, I thought fundraising efforts and bringing people together for this cause is something that we can do,' Zackey said. 'Just like with MS, ups and downs — some days it's sunny, some days it's rainy. But we're all here and I appreciate everyone coming out and being together.'
Organizers said Walk MS is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which has funded the research behind every major breakthrough in treating the disease of the central nervous system.
'I always use this as an opportunity to put out there all about MS, what it is, what we can do about it and not to hide behind the diagnosis, but celebrate it and know that we're all going to be OK if we work together,' Zackey said.
Western New York has a very high rate of MS. The event provides community and hope for those affected by the disease.
'Any disease, but maybe MS especially, can be a little isolating, so to come here and have this community camaraderie with people that love and want to help you makes all the difference,' said Andy Yates, president of the Upstate Chapter of the National MS Society.
'It's empowering. It shows me in my own life that I'm capable of anything,' said Sarah Nicoletti, who was walking in support of her friend. 'If these people can overcome this, they're like leaders to me.'
WIVB News 4 has been a longtime supporter of Walk MS and after 37 years of being emcee, Jacquie Walker told the crowd this is her final year in that role. She introduced Marlee Tuskes as the emcee of Walk MS 2026.
Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.
***
Jacquie Walker is an award-winning anchor and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 1983. See more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
‘Horny' mom, 42, reveals terrifying reason behind the sudden loss of her sex drive: ‘My partner took it personally'
A British mom says she was stunned to learn what was behind the sudden loss of her sex drive. Leanne Jones, 42, was once 'horny,' admitting she loved spending hours in the bedroom with partner Adam, 40. Several years ago, the former legal secretary suddenly found herself struggling to get aroused and wasn't able to climax as usual. 'I went from being very highly sex driven to feeling like Grandpa Joe from 'Willy Wonka,'' the mom-of-two, from South Wales in the United Kingdom, told Jam Press. 5 'I went from being very highly sex driven to feeling like Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka,' the mom-of-two, from South Wales in the United Kingdom, told Jam Press. Jam Press/@leanne_fighting_ms 5 'There have been many times my partner could've walked away, but he says we are a team,' Jones said. She is pictured with Adam. Jam Press/@leanne_fighting_ms 'My partner took it personally at first, as many would, and thought I didn't love him anymore,' she continued. 'No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get back my once horny self.' Jones was also experiencing 'crippling' fatigue and partial hearing loss. Knowing something wasn't quite right, she saw her doctor and was booked in for an MRI scan. Shockingly, the Brit was diagnosed with two conditions; Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which affects the brain and spinal cord, and functional neurological disorder, which impacts how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body. 'Because of the nerve damage to the brain and spine, the signals needed for arousal, sensation and orgasm are no longer there,' Jones explained. 'It creates a disconnect. For us women, there's issues with low sex drive, lack of sensation and lubrication and pain.' 5 'Because of the nerve damage to the brain and spine, the signals needed for arousal, sensation and orgasm are no longer there,' Jones explained. Jam Press/@leanne_fighting_ms 5 The Brit was diagnosed with two conditions; multiple sclerosis, which affects the brain and spinal cord, and functional neurological disorder, which impacts how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body. Jam Press/@leanne_fighting_ms While Jones' partner was initially upset about lack of interest in sex, he is standing by her as she faces her health battle. 'There have been many times my partner could've walked away, but he says we are a team,' Jones stated.'I spoke with an MS neurologist in front of him about the issues we were having in the bedroom and he understood that it's not him, it's my brain.' Jones is now an advocate for other people who are suffering MS, taking to TikTok to explain how the illness impacts sex drive. 'I had a number of male sufferers message to thank me for discussing it as a few of them had lost partners over it,' the mom told Jam Press. 'This is why it's so important to raise awareness. It's such a debilitating and lonely life.' 5 In addition to her lack of sex drive, Jones is suffering from problems with her speech and issues with her mobility and vision. Jam Press/@leanne_fighting_ms In addition to her lack of sex drive, Jones is suffering from problems with her speech and issues with her mobility and vision. However, the mom insists she's still able to enjoy her life. 'I want people to know that even though it feels like a prison sentence, it's not,' she said. 'You've got to work with it, not against it, as there's so much to live for.'
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Early Warning Signs For MS Discovered—Appear 15 Years Before Main Symptoms
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Warning signs for multiple sclerosis (MS) could emerge more than a decade before the first classical symptoms occur—offering hope for earlier detection and better patient outcomes. This is the finding of researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC), who have analyzed the health records of more than 12,000 people in the Canadian province and challenged assumptions about when the disease really begins. They discovered those living with MS—a chronic condition affecting the brain and spinal cord—began using healthcare services at elevated rates 15 years before their first 'typical' MS symptoms appeared. While MS affects people differently, symptoms often include feeling extremely tired, problems with your eyes or vision, numbness or a tingling feeling in different parts of the body, feeling off balance, muscle cramps and concentration/memory problems. "MS can be difficult to recognize as many of the earliest signs—like fatigue, headache, pain and mental health concerns—can be quite general and easily mistaken for other conditions," said paper author and UBC neurology professor Helen Tremlett in a statement. "Our findings dramatically shift the timeline for when these early warning signs are thought to begin, potentially opening the door to opportunities for earlier detection and intervention." Female doctor is taking the blood pressure of a young adult female patient during a medical consultation. Female doctor is taking the blood pressure of a young adult female patient during a medical consultation. Antonio_Diaz/Getty Images The study offers a clear picture to date of how patients engage with a range of healthcare providers in the years leading up to a MS diagnosis as they search for answers to "ill-defined" medical challenges. Diagnosis for the condition typically requires imaging (MRI) signals and a specific clinical presentation. The study tracked physician visits in the 25 years leading up to the onset of a patient's MS symptoms, as determined by a neurologist through detailed medical history and clinical assessments. Most previous studies have only examined trends in the five to 10 years leading up to a patient's first "demyelinating event" (the loss or damage of the myelin sheath, a protective covering surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord) such as vision problems. Bruce Bebo, Executive Vice President of Research for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, told Newsweek, "This is an impressive study by a world-class research team offering important new insights into the earliest manifestations of MS. "The ability to identify people at high risk for MS could trigger enhanced monitoring and subsequent identification of people in the earliest stage of disease. Treatment of MS at this earliest stage would likely result in significantly improved outcomes." The researchers revealed that, compared to the general population, people with MS had a steady build-up of healthcare engagement over 15 years with different types of doctor visits increasing at particular points. Some 15 years before symptom onset, patient visits to general practice physicians increased, as did visits to any physician for symptoms like fatigue, pain, dizziness and mental health conditions. At 12 years before, visits to a psychiatrist increased. Three to five years before diagnosis, emergency medicine and radiology visits increased. And one year before, physician visits across multiple specialties peaked, including neurology, emergency medicine and radiology. "These patterns suggest that MS has a long and complex prodromal phase—where something is happening beneath the surface but hasn't yet declared itself as MS," said paper author and UBC postdoctoral fellow Marta Ruiz-Algueró in a statement. "We're only now starting to understand what these early warning signs are, with mental health-related issues appearing to be among the earliest indicators." The study follows previous work by Tremlett and her team to characterize the early stages of MS, known as the 'prodromal phase', where subtle signs or other symptoms occur before the onset of more typical symptoms. These periods are well established in other neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease, where mood changes, sleep disturbances and constipation often arise years before the more familiar motor symptoms like tremors and stiffness. While the researchers point out the vast majority of people who experience general symptoms like fatigue and headaches won't go on to develop MS, they say recognizing and characterising the MS prodrome could one day help accelerate diagnosis and improve outcomes for patients. "By identifying these earlier red flags, we may eventually be able to intervene sooner—whether that's through monitoring, support or preventive strategies," said Dr. Tremlett. "It opens new avenues for research into early biomarkers, lifestyle factors and other potential triggers that may be at play during this previously overlooked phase of the disease." Could we use these early signs to reduce risk of MS developing? Bebo said: "It is likely that the central nervous system is already affected at this early stage of the disease, making true prevention unlikely. However, initiating treatment with a disease-modifying therapy at this point could halt disease progression." However, he added, "Many consider the onset of MS begins when autoreactive immune cells gain access to the central nervous system and start causing damage. "If we can identify the very earliest changes in the immune system prior to entry into the central nervous system and prevent these cells from getting access to the brain and spinal cord, it might be possible to prevent MS." Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about MS? Let us know via health@ Reference Ruiz-Algueró, M., Zhu, F., Chertcoff, A., Zhao, Y., Marrie, R. A., & Tremlett, H. (2025). Health Care Use Before Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Onset. JAMA Network Open, 8(8).
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Gwent man starts YouTube channel on his experience living with incurable condition
A man living with MS has started his own YouTube channel to help newly diagnosed people feel 'less alone.' MS or as it's medically known Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling, disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It's an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers nerve fibres. In some cases, MS can lead to paralysis, speech difficulties, and bladder or bowel problems. There is no cure for MS however, treatments can slow its progression. Mike Gale runs a You Tube account called Myelin and Me focused around MS (Image: Mike Gale) Mike Gale, 49, from Newport and now living in Cwmbran, has been making videos on his Youtube Channel 'Myelin and Me.' Mike was officially diagnosed with MS in 2019 after years of unexplained symptoms and has grossed around 100 subscribers through his platform. Mike said: 'One of the reasons I'm doing the channel is because I think, had I known more at the time, I could have been diagnosed earlier. 'I was left to manage things on my own. Cramps, tremors, and everything else. I started off okay but then it progressed quite rapidly, which was a bit of a bind really.' Mike Gale runs a You Tube account called Myelin and Me focused around MS (Image: Mike Gale) Mike's journey began in 2015 whilst out on a run, he told the Argus: 'My left leg started hitting the floor oddly.' After this he was diagnosed with a variety of conditions, but none explained what was really going on. It wasn't until 2018, after Mike and his wife took matters into their own hands that things started moving. He said: 'Eventually I had scans that showed lesions on my brain and spine, and a lumbar puncture confirmed that I had MS.' Unfortunately for Mike, his MS had progressed to non-active secondary progressive MS which meant that disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) were no longer an option for him. He now uses a wheelchair. Mike Gale runs a You Tube account called Myelin and Me focused around MS (Image: Mike Gale) Despite the setbacks, Mike is determined to make a difference and Myelin and Me is a raw, unfiltered look at life with MS. Mike said: 'There wasn't anything out there that really showed what MS looks like day to day. It's not polished or perfect it's real. 'I wanted to raise awareness, bust some myths, and help people with MS feel seen and less alone.' Some of the videos on Myelin and Me includes 'Alcohol made my MS worse, and I didn't even realise it' and 'Ms & PIP How to survive the Pip assessment.' Mike Gale runs a You Tube account called Myelin and Me focused around MS (Image: NQ) In addition to running his channel, Mike works full-time and credits his employer for being incredibly supportive, allowing him to work from home and he's not stopping there. On September 27, Mike will be taking on a major challenge. Climbing Pen y Fan. The goal is to prove people with MS can still live a fulfilling life. Mike explained: 'A friend of mine who also has MS called me and said, 'I'm building a wheelchair to get up Pen y Fan and I'm building one for you too.' Mike of course said yes. He said: 'No matter how bad your condition is, you can still do stuff.' Mike's channel can be viewed here alongside his website which also raises awareness surrounding MS.
