 A Friendship meant to
last!
 Will lives in
Chicago, Illinois, USA. Here's his story.
"I was only 16 when diagnosed with MS in
1997. 16 and in a new world, unprepared for how lonely it would become in the
years to follow. How friends would suddenly disappear from my life, and how new
ones would be weary of having a friend who was “sick". I felt alone
in my battle, although I knew I wasn’t.
"Eight years went by with no-one to talk to,
until I met Meg. I wanted a friend who could truly understand what it was like
being a young person living with MS.
"While researching the Internet one evening,
I came across Jooly’s Joint. I placed an ad for a webpal among the many
others hoping for a response.
"On my 24th birthday I received an email
from a young woman in Maryland named Meg. She was 20 years old and also finding
it very discouraging to go through the journey of MS alone.
"Upon reading the first sentence of Meg's
letter, I knew it was the path to something we were both missing from our
lives, the power of friendship and love! From then on, we corresponded daily
through email, instant messaging, and telephone; reminding each other that we
were no longer alone in our battles. Providing laughter, understanding, and a
sense of comfort through every challenge brought upon us, while at the same
time becoming not only “webpals” but best friends!
"The void was filled after years of having
no-one to talk to. I found a bright side to my life once again, it was her. And
in me, she had found the same. With one single online message, our lives
changed forever. No longer do we see MS as a setback, but as a torch to a
brighter future with new horizons. We wake up each morning with a new love for
life, feeling healthier and more optimistic towards our roads ahead, all
without ever having met in person until last Spring!
"A letter a day was all it took to create a
friendship meant to last. By finding friendship online, we found escape from
the shackles of our diseases by escaping its most unbearable aspect,
loneliness!"
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