Myositis Awareness Month
Terry Anderson is from South Dakota and loves travel. When he retired, his dream was to tour the world with his wife, Bitsy, and they did. They loved seeing Russia, China, and the Middle East. They had so many other destinations they wanted to visit. But in 2007, Bitsy began losing muscle strength in ways that interfered with travel. She was diagnosed with inclusion body myositis (IBM) in 2008. “There were a lot of dreams we had to change,” Terry said.
They found The Myositis Association (TMA) one year later. When they attended a support group, Bitsy was shocked when she saw a man with IBM in a wheelchair, fearing that might be her future. Nonetheless, they started attending regularly, and Bitsy eventually became the group leader. “It was so helpful to know we are not alone. TMA introduced us to people with the disease who lifted us up,” Terry said.
Will you help care partners like Terry, whose lives are permanently changed by myositis?
Terry appreciated learning “tips and tricks” to make living with IBM easier for both of them. “People had come up with handmade hooks to open drawers, ways for IBM patients to open the dryer, utensils for eating – we learned all kinds of useful stuff.” Terry served on the TMA board for eight years, and as an avid runner, he and Bitsy organized a 5K run that over 10 years raised $250,000 for myositis research.
TMA provides important support for care partners. “You can call TMA friends when you just need to vent. It really helps to have that support.” Terry misses travel, but he and Bitsy have invested their time in other ways that are very meaningful. They see close friends weekly, spend time with family, have a wonderful community at church, go to concerts regularly, and love Bitsy’s service dog, Maya. “This is not the life we envisioned, but it’s a really good life,” Terry said.
Please make a gift today to help care partners like Terry find support and pass it on to others.
Thank you for your generosity and being a vital part of our community during
Myositis Awareness Month!
