36 msfocusmagazine.org Life With MS regularly offered specialized classes free to members, such as senior aqua, arthritis aqua, and – my lifeline – MS aqua. The instructors are all trained and certified for specialized arthritis and MS activities. They provided exercises designed to improve the movement, balance, and cardiovascular health of the participants, all while being mindful of participant’s limitations. The MS Aqua group at PHFC has been active for 12 years and is the largest in Illinois. It is also the only MS aqua program in the area. Besides the pools, PHFC offered many other programs and exercise machines that are designed for those with health challenges, not just the healthy that want to maintain their condition. Regular programs, which are included as part of the membership fee, included MS yoga, Parkinson’s exercises, gentle yoga, young at heart (cardio that incorporates using chairs for support), T’ai Chi, low-impact fitness, cycle light, ageless grace (chair exercises) and balance basics. Equipment offered included not only the usual health club offerings, but also devices like the Nu-Step, which is a recumbent (seated) machine that exercises both arms and legs. Trainers were available and happy to work with every member, regardless of any physical limitations. The clientele at PHFC was different than you’d see at other health clubs. You saw healthy, active members next to members who need the assistance of canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and oxygen. All washrooms, locker rooms, showers, and other areas had accessible accommodations like grab bars, large turning areas, and chair lifts at each pool. There were two family/handicap locker rooms where a caregiver or spouse could help a member change for the pool or exercising. Although the Palos Hospital administrator told the news outlets that the closing was “a done deal,” many of us were determined to notletthishappenwithoutafight.Onemember quickly found out that Illinois Health Services had to approve the need for the new medical building and filed a request for a local hearing. At the hearing, we had 295 people come to oppose the expansion while only 21 came to support the hospital. More than a hundred people – including many of our own personal physicians – sent letters of opposition directly to the health board. We sent out press releases to all Chicago- area media outlets and received coverage on TV, radio, and newspapers. We asked all of our supporters to contact their politicians and receivedoverwhelmingsupport.Weestablished a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. Our Facebook posts would often reach more than 10,000 people. Another member made a wonderful video featuring testimonials about how important the wellness center was to us. We organized a protest rally on a Saturday morning across the street from the hospital itself. Some of us were standing, but many people were sitting in their wheelchairs, scooters, or next to their walkers. Everyone held yellow signs and yellow balloons, and we all chanted “save our health club.” The OrlandTownship board and supervisor now knew the importance of the wellness center and filed a lawsuit to stop the Illinois Health Board from voting on the issue. They found out that a technicality, which separated the health club from the hospital in their corporate structure, was invalid. When our group asked what we could do to help with the lawsuit, the supervisor suggested that we present affidavits to the judge stating that