|
Meet Our Walk MS Ambassadors
Jaclyn Natoli
Jacyln Natoli began to develop symptoms of MS when she was only 10 years old. These symptoms included slurred speech, headaches, numbness in her face, loss of vision in her left eye, and difficulty with her motor skills. This experience would have been horrifying for an adult to encounter...let alone a 10-year old child. It was also extremely difficult for her parents to see their cute, smart and active daughter suddenly look and feel very sick.
At first, Jaclyn’s doctors treated her with steroids. A side effect of this treatment was rapid weight gain. This sudden increase in weight initially weakened her bones, which resulted in Jaclyn breaking the T7 bone in her back. She was forced to wear a full-body brace for 3-months. Without knowledge of her condition, some classmates teased her about her appearance. It was not an easy time in her young life, but Jaclyn decided to face this uncertainty and adversity with a positive attitude and a will to persevere.
With guidance from her parents, Jacyln recently decided to go public with her battle against multiple sclerosis. Before she did this, her parents wanted to make sure that they researched the disease extensively. They made it a point to educate themselves about MS before talking to others about their daughter’s condition. Jaclyn is now 14, and she feels comfortable sharing her experience with MS with others - she even made an appearance on the Montel Williams Show!
As one of our Walk MS Ambassadors, Jaclyn hopes to educate people especially teenagers - about the disease. Having MS at an early age has been difficult, but it has also given Jaclyn great strength, and the courage to fight for a cure for herself and others!
Craig Chomiak
Craig Chomiak is a father, a husband, an athlete, an Environmental Scientist, a co-captain of one of our chapter’s largest Walk MS teams…and he also has MS. He lives an extremely active life, and he has decided to not let MS stop him from doing the things that he loves to do.
Craig was born in Englewood, NJ, and for much of his youth, he was active in sports. In high school, he played soccer and was the captain of the Wayne Hills High Track team. In 1987, he broke the school’s record in the 800-meter (1/2 mile) run 1 minute 58.8 seconds. Not without surprise, his high school graduating class voted him “Most Athletic.”
Craig went on to the University of Delaware to earn a degree in Geography and Environmental Science. In 1992 -one year out of college - he developed his first symptoms of MS. Although the disease threw him a major curve ball, Craig was determined to still follow his dreams and live a happy, active life. In 1997, he married the love of his life, Carrie Nolan. Together, the couple has two beautiful daughters Ella and Lucy.
In 2001, Craig earned a Masters Degree in Environmental Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. For the last 13 years, he has worked as an independent contractor for the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Justice.
Although Craig has been working on protecting our environment for over a decade, he has worked even longer for a cause that is truly close to his heart. For the last 15 years, he has been team captain of Luke Skywalker and the Wookies - one of the premiere Walk MS teams in our chapter (having raised over $250,000 in the last 15 years). Last year, Craig’s mom, Claire, took over as team captain, but Craig still holds the title of co-captain. Together, he and his mom, plan to lead the team to another outstanding fundraising year. Don’t be surprised to see the Wookies in our Top Ten Teams again this year!
Ronni Lieberman
Ronni Lieberman grew up in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. In 1977, she graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation. While in college, Ronni continued working 2 part-time jobs. She worked as a recreation therapist at United Cerebral Palsy with handicapped teenagers and adults. Concurrently, she began working at All State Bus Company, organizing group tours by motor coach. It was after trying to organize a tour for physically disabled adults that she was able to combine her education, as well as her knowledge of travel to become a pioneer in the field of travel for the disabled. In 1976, Ronni was instrumental in developing the Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped (SATH). SATH (now known as the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality) is an international organization dedicated to raising the awareness of travel for the disabled.
In 1993, Ronni was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Although the disease has brought her many trials and tribulations, she has not let it stop her from living an active life. Ronni is a member of Greater North Jersey MS Society’s Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Leadership Committee for our chapter’s Women Against MS Luncheon, as well as a team captain of the successful Walk MS team, “Keep on Truckin’.” Ronni lives in Upper Saddle River with her husband Eric and their three sons Seth 24, Josh 22 and Cory 18 (All members of Keep on Truckin’.). This year, she intends to use her role as one of our Walk MS Ambassadors to raise more awareness about the disease…she also plans to give other team captains friendly competition as she will attempt to lead her team to the top of the Walk MS team rankings!
|
