46 msfocusmagazine.org Living Positive and Resilient in the Face of MS By Kathryn Bradbury In 2002, D’Andre Dickens was living in New Jersey and had a job that he loved in NewYork. He was loving life. But he started to notice that his body was no longer working the way it always had; he was physically fit, but something was not right. After manyvisits to his doctor, and then a visit to a neurologist, D’Andrewas diagnosedwith multiple sclerosis. At the time, he had no idea what MS was. His doctor recommended that he move to be closertofamilysothathewouldhaveadditional help and support. It took D’Andre a couple of months to accept it, but he eventually decided to relocate to Hampton, Va., where his sister and mother lived. He called to tell them he was ready, and it wasn’t long until they arrived with the moving truck. D’Andre faces his challenges with an inspiring positivity. “I have MS, but MS doesn’t have me. I wrote a letter to MS,” D’Andre said. “Dear MS, you messed with the wrong person.” D’Andre has taken these messages, and used them to improve not only his life, but also the lives of others in his community for the past 15 years. When he first moved to Virginia, D’Andre had to find his way in a new community. He startedworkatthelocalparatransitdepartment, helping seniors and people with disabilities obtain independence. D’Andre maintains his own independence, living by himself with the help of a personal assistant. Today, he is a motivational speaker and runs his own business. D’Andre has spoken in his communityatvarious events and expos. His goal is to educate and inspire those he speaks to by talking about his life journey and how he lives each day. His most memorable andrewardingmomentwaswhenhewasasked to share his story with a group of students at a conference being held by HOSA – Future Health Professionals. HOSAawarded himwith their Outstanding Speaker award that year. D’Andre has been the leader of his own support group – African American Inspiration – for more than 10 years. The group has been affiliated with MS Focus since 2014. Through the help of the MS Focus Computer Program, D’Andre has been able to get help for 10 of the group members over the years. D’Andre has an important message. When faced with the toughest challenge in his life, he remained positive and continued to move forward with the faith that there was some- Life with MS