Felt like running in a sauna this morning but finished up the Running Over MSA-Dan Cavanagh Memorial Virtual 5K option bright and early! Good luck to all the runners running the in-person 5K later this morning in Chatsworth, Illinois.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a combination of symptoms that affect both the central nervous system (which controls how a person moves), and the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions such as blood pressure or digestion. MSA was formerly known as Shy-Drager syndrome, olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OCPA), or striatonigral degeneration.

The symptoms of MSA reflect the progressive loss of function and death of different types of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. MSA is one of a family of neurological disorders known as an atypical parkinsonian disorder.

My father continues to battle Multiple System Atrophy so I applaud and appreciate the family who helps pull together this race and all the runners who run to raise funds to help find a cure for MSA. Funds raised from this race benefit Mission MSA.

Let’s find a cure for Multiple System Atrophy soon!