(NewsUSA) – When Laura Kimball was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, or RRMS, few therapy options were available to treat the chronic and debilitating illness. She was told to prepare for the worst.

After hearing a Paul Harvey radio broadcast announcing enrollment for a new clinical trial of an investigational treatment being developed, her outlook became more positive.

“I called my local National Multiple Sclerosis Society chapter to find out if what I heard was true, and I couldn’t believe it when they told me it was,” Laura remembers. “I quickly worked to enroll in the study and finally felt like I was proactively doing something to manage my disease.”

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. Approximately 85 percent of people are initially diagnosed with the most common form of the disease, RRMS. In RRMS, a person experiences attacks (also called relapses or exacerbations) of worsening neurologic functioning followed by periods of remission in which partial or complete recovery occurs. RRMS is a complex disease that affects everyone differently, but common symptoms include:

* Weakness

* Numbness

* Tingling sensations

* Balance problems, stumbling

* Depression

* Blurred vision

* Fatigue

* Cognitive difficulties

With eight therapies now approved to treat MS, researchers have made tremendous strides over the past few decades and continue to work toward additional advancements.

“Every day, Paul Harvey has been part of my life. Every day I am grateful for that broadcast and the difference he made in my life. Now I am sharing my story to tell anyone living with RRMS to work with your neurologist to find the right treatment for you and to stick with it.”