Latin America lights up for World MS Day

World MS Day 2012 is being celebrated by MS societies across Latin American with a multitude of fundraising and awareness events.

In Chile, a new local MS group of Agrupación de Enfermos de Esclerosis Múltiple (AEEM) is being setting up in Quilpue and launching on 9 June with a celebration of traditional folkloric music. AEEM , continues to grow and now has around 300 members in a country thought to have about 3,000 people living with MS.

Cuba has kicked off WMSD celebrations early with a talk on living with MS and a screening of a film, produced by the Spanish MS organisation, FELEM.  A live performance by local comedian Omar Franco in Havana, was also held to entertain the organisation’s members. A member of EM Cuba, Cary, says “I urge everyone living with MS to fight it. Positive thinking and the desire to live are the best treatment for these illnesses.”

In Uruguay, EMUR is using this year’s themes and asking its members to take part in a writing competition and write about “my life with MS”. In neighbouring Argentina – EMA has several events planned; an open brunch at their neuro-rehab centre in Buenos Aires which will include a release of balloons to mark WMSD and a display of postcards made in the centre’s occupational therapy workshops throughout this month. There will also be a public seminar on living with MS held at the country’s National Library given by Medical Advisory Committee.

Peru will see hundreds of people taking part in a sponsored walk for MS in Lima’s renowned Reducto Park  with an accompanying musical show for the national MS group, ESMUP. And in Brazil, ABEM is celebrating with an event held in front of their offices which hopes to see many of their over 20,000 members attending.