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MS Patient Finds Out Firsthand Where Money Raised At 'Walk MS' Goes

DENVER (CBS4) – This weekend 10,000 people are expected to come together for Walk MS Denver. The annual event raises money for people in Colorado and Wyoming living with multiple sclerosis.

For years Jeff Sunderman and his children would take part in Walk MS, but he never really understood where the money went until walking became much more difficult for him. Thirty years after his MS diagnosis he reached out to the MS Society for help renovating his three-story Aurora townhouse.

"When I was walking up the stairs it would wear me out pretty good," he said.

Jeff Sunderman (credit: CBS)
Jeff Sunderman using his chairlift (credit: CBS)

The MS Society and the Home Builders Foundation installed a chairlift so Sunderman would no longer have to tackle the flights of stairs. Then they built a new hallway linking his bedroom and bathroom and added a wheelchair accessible walk-in-shower to replace his tub.

MS HOME RENOVATION 6PKG.tra

"Even though I'm not in a wheelchair yet, that's more than likely where I'm headed," he said.

Carrie Nolan, President of the Colorado Wyoming Chapter of the National MS Society, says events like Walk MS provide funds for projects like Sunderman's.

"Our chapter is able to provide services and resources to really help people live their best lives," she said.

Jeff Sunderman
Jeff Sunderman (credit: CBS)

Sunderman says the renovations provide him independence and let him focus his energy on his children and grandchildren.

"I really don't know where I'd be right now if it wasn't for them to push me through some of this," he said.

Walk MS
Last year's Walk MS (credit: CBS)

Walk MS Denver is Saturday, May 2 at City Park. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m.

LINK: Walk MS Denver

Mark Ackerman is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. Follow him on Twitter @ackermanmark

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