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Donny & Marie's Nephew In Denver To Talk MS

DENVER (CBS4) - He's a nephew of Donny and Marie and another generation of Osmond family singers, but David Osmond was in Colorado Tuesday to speak on a far different topic.

When listening to David Osmond you hear the enthusiasm of the family in his voice. And when you ask him about the family tree he says, "Do you have about an hour?"

Son of Alan Osmond from the original Osmond Brothers, David Osmond was in town to relate a personal story -- and do it with people who will understand completely.

"I do kind of a pop-rock style," he said. "But I had to stop it all. I had to give it all up for quite a while."

In 2006 David Osmond was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It was a disease his father had dealt with for years.

"Funny enough, the last thing I thought was multiple sclerosis. My dad has had the same thing for years and this was so vastly different from his symptoms."

But even with that genetic tie, it wasn't something that he expected at all.

"No injury; I just degraded and went downhill physically very fast. And from my chest down I was immobile and my hands slowed down, my eyesight diminished," he said. "My music was done, I couldn't play my guitar."

Speaking and performing before the MS Society for the 'On the Move' luncheon, Osmond inspired, entertained and touched the crowd with a story of a very personal struggle that he and his father share.

"I'm doing very well with it. I'm back on my feet, literally," he said. "I live with it every day, but I try to live with it with the mantra my dad said for years and years, and it's this, 'I may have MS, but MS does not have me.' "

And they do it with a goal in mind -- to be optimistic -- and to help others find their way.

"To have a dad who has that uber-optimistic attitude and so positive was such a gift as a kid, because when I had to go through this I had a great role model, a great example of overcoming adversity in a positive way."

It's the sort of optimistic enthusiasm that motivates everyone toward raising awareness and resources.

Colorado, incidentally, has one of the highest rates of MS in the country. To learn more about the disease or to donate to help fund critical research and programs, visit the MS Society website.

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