Dan is a paid ambassador for Celgene, and collaborated with Celgene to create this post.
Knots tightened in my stomach as I seemingly stood by myself in an open New Jersey field. I watched the wicker basket gate close quickly behind Jennifer as the pilot shot a burst of fire from a trigger five feet over her head to heat the air that filled the perfectly shaped balloon. Jennifer was going up in a hot air balloon, wheelchair and all, without me. I simultaneously was excited and scared for her until the pilot and four crew members who held the balloon steady on the ground all looked up at me at the same time. Jennifer, who is very persuasive and convincing, wasn’t going up without me by her side.
You’re right Jennifer, the pilot seemed to say, we can make room for Dan in this basket that is more than sturdy enough to support us all.
And with that, I stood close by Jennifer’s side as the crew let the basket go and balloon pilot Bennett Schwontkowski fired off a few more flames into the air as we floated up into the sky.
Looking up with the MS MindShift
If you know even just a little about me, you know I’m a HUGE Bruce Springsteen fan, and you wouldn’t be off base in assuming “The Boss” was the reason for my first-ever trip to his storied home state of New Jersey. Jennifer and me flying into Newark Liberty International Airport had nothing to do with Springsteen and everything to do with the MS MindShift initiative.
The MS MindShift is a national initiative that Celgene and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) launched to educate about the critical role the brain plays in MS and what people living with the disease can do to keep their brain as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. Just as keeping a balloon in good condition keeps it soaring above the ground, shifting focus up toward the brain today could change how people living with MS live with the disease tomorrow. And this is the reason for the MS MindShift “Brain Bulb” Balloon, which made its maiden public voyage at the 37th annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Readington, New Jersey.
The Brain Bulb Balloon was the only handicapped accessible hot air balloon at the July 26-28 festival that featured nearly 100 balloons, and Jennifer was the first person using a wheelchair to take a ride in the Brain Bulb Balloon.
I forever will remember the perpetual smile on Jennifer’s face for the entire ride as she watched Bennett effortlessly guide the balloon “up, up, and away” (yes, we sang that Fifth Dimension song ad nauseum in the weeks preceding and following our venture) and listened to his balloon stories and facts, the most memorable that the amount of air that inflated our balloon would fill 120,000 basketballs.
A 50-foot tether kept the balloon from floating away so more people at the festival could experience it and further understand the importance of a brain-first approach in living and moving forward with MS.
Keeping up with brain health
The beauty of the MS MindShift is it focuses on actions we all can take to help improve the health of our brains, such as keeping our minds active, getting more sleep, following a healthy diet and increasing our physical activity.
Jennifer and I used to think we were just a couple of word nerds: She loves showing off her skills online through games like Scrabble and Wordscapes, and I enjoy my fulltime job crafting insightful sentences as a creative writer. It turns out we actually are helping ourselves in our lives with Multiple Sclerosis.
Another way we sharpen our minds is through music. After all, you didn’t think I’d write about New Jersey and not pull Springsteen further into my essay, did you? 🙂
It was devastating when Jennifer and I first were diagnosed with MS – her in 1997 and me in 2000. But music from artists like Tom Petty, O.A.R., Train and of course, Mr. Springsteen has pulled us through many difficult days we’ve had in living with this disease. Through the instruments, beats and lyrics, music has served as surefire emotional pick-me-ups to give us the strength and determination we’ve needed.
All our fascination with words and musing with music are ways we’re looking up to keep our brains healthy.
We are proud to join Celgene and MSAA in the MS MindShift initiative, and we encourage you to visit MSMindShift.com to learn more and discover ways you can keep your brain as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
What a tremendous experience for both of you! Great pics too–especially the last one with balloons in the background.
Brain health is as important as physical health for MSer’s. I try to read (before dozing off in a chair!) & write as well as playing math games on the phone.
Thank you for the work you kids do. Keep fighting & staying active!