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Sisters Living With MS Hope To Unlock Genetic Link To Disease

DENVER (CBS4)- Amy and Gretchen Mitterer are sisters and best friends and shared everything growing up. Now that they are adults, they share something else; both live with Multiple Sclerosis.

At age 28, Gretchen noticed slurred speech on a camping trip.

"My words weren't articulating and I kept asking people, I said, 'Do I sound funny?'" said Gretchen.

Amy first noticed symptoms at 27.

"Just gradual changes. I would notice them most when hiking, my foot would drop, and I would be dragging it," said Amy.

Doctors believe genetics play a role in MS.

"There's no specific answer to the role of genetics in any circumstance, but we know that genetics plays a role," said Dr. Randy Shapiro with the MS Advisory Group.

Gretchen will ride in Bike MS on June 25 and 26. Amy will be there to cheer her on. CBS4 will be among the teams riding along. The route is from Westminster to Fort Collins.

nationalmssociety.org

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