My name is Wendy Machi, I am 44 years old and I have had Multiple Sclerosis for 25 years. I have been married for almost 18 years to an incredibly supportive husband, Nino.  Together, we have three beautiful  children (I can say that; I'm the mom).  Matthew is 16, and our twin daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine, are 10.

When I was diagnosed with MS at 19 years old, I was devastated. I had no idea what MS was or how bad it was going to get.  The first picture that came into my mind, was me in a wheelchair!  How scary was that at 19??  I was very athletic my whole life.  I envisioned never playing volleyball or softball again.  After I realized that I was not going to be on the US Olympic volleyball or softball teams, healthy or not, I got over the "I'll never play again” stage!"

I was in nursing school at the time I was diagnosed.  My hands were the first thing affected by the disease, and since we were about to start clinicals, and really work with patients, I was forced to change my career path.  I took a semester off and decided to go to UW-Whitewater for teaching.  I graduated from Whitewater with a BS in Education in 1986. I taught in West Allis for 12 years.

I married Nino in 1990.  We had Matthew in 1991. Our twins were born in 1997.  I retired from teaching in 1998 due to the physical limitations caused by the MS.

Childbirth can exacerbate or cause attacks in MS.  Having the children was kind of rough on my body and did, in fact, exacerbate the disease.  I am lucky enough to have the type of MS called relapsing-remitting.  During the course of the disease, I have had relapses, and then after a period of time, I've gone into remission.  The hard part is that after the attacks, you don't bounce back 100%.  So, with each subsequent attack, I  wasn't what I was before the attack.

I have ridden in the MS 150 for the past 5 years.  I ride on the back of my tandem with “Team Wendy” members taking turns riding with me.

I walk with a limp, my balance is impaired, and I can't run or jump.  I am however, able to walk through doors.  I'm not wheeling through them.  So, as awful as this disease is, I do think God had a plan for Wendy Machi. Thank you for going on this journey with me!  You've made the ride much smoother and the HOPE much brighter!

Until There is a Cure, We Must Have Hope!

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