Virginia is for … conquering MS fears

It seems like we just got back from our epic trip to Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia to present at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Brian Mason Weekend Escape.

Beautiful scenery welcoming us to Virginia

Guess when you successfully tackle one of your biggest flying fears, the adrenaline rush takes its time leaving your system.

Sure, we’ve taken direct flights countless times to speak at various MS events throughout the country and advocate on Capitol Hill.  But this one was totally different.

We had to take a connecting flight because Delta Air Lines has no direct flight from Detroit, Michigan, to Roanoke, Virginia.

Why were we so afraid?

For starters, flying with a wheelchair and a disability is challenging enough with the number of needed transfers in and out of your wheelchair to get onto the plane. And then there always is the anxiety that comes with hoping your wheelchair survives the flight as well as the loading and unloading from the cargo hold.

A connecting flight in Atlanta meant this entire process had to happen twice, plus hoping and praying you can make it from your first flight to the second flight in a gate that’s halfway across one of the biggest airports in the nation.

You’d be anxious too.

We often say to do something that scares you, don’t give MS more credit than it deserves, and believe in yourself and the kindness of others.

Check, check and check on all accounts for us in our connecting flight conquest.

Come with us here as we take you through our adventure to show you the expected and unexpected realities that come with flying with MS, a wheelchair and a connecting flight.

Spoiler alert: It all gave us the confidence to do it again 🙂

Nearly 200 attended this annual weekend event for people who have MS and their family members at the W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center. So empowering!

 

We were honored to serve as keynote presenters for two of the sessions and blessed to meet so many incredible new friends.

 

Nothing like the mountains to calm our jitters before presenting first thing in the morning. Thanks to Elaine from Texas for taking this photo and to Clare from Virginia for capturing this video below that hits at the core of our presentation “Remember to Take Good Care of ‘US.'”

 

 

We recharged and focused on the importance of moving during an exercise session with adaptive fitness expert Emily Reilly.

 

Trouble hit on our return flight when ground crews in Roanoke discovered that Jennifer’s wheelchair was too big to fit under the engine to get into the cargo hold of our small airplane. Thanks to everyone at Delta for A) Caring enough to not do anything that could damage Jennifer’s wheelchair; and B) For paying to put us up in Hotel Roanoke so we could catch a bigger plane the next morning.

 

Timing was everything on this trip: Even though we had to spend the night in Roanoke, it was the evening of our 13th wedding anniversary! Dinner at the hotel pub and classic furniture and artwork in the hotel hallways marked a perfect ending to a phenomenal weekend in Virginia. #TakeThatMS

2 Responses to Virginia is for … conquering MS fears

  1. Kids,
    Great to hear your trip & presentation was successful.
    Loved the video…especially the extra bonus features at the very end before the camera was shut off. (That’s why I ALWAYS stay to watch the movie credits–never know what you’ll miss!)

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