{"title":"🧠 Multiple Sclerosis Awareness","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eCreated from a deeply personal journey, this collection supports awareness, encouragement, and hope for individuals and families affected by Multiple Sclerosis. This collection was inspired by the personal experience lived every day by Michelle's husband of 24 years, Ricky Dean, and Michelle, who has been his full-time caregiver for going on 7 years now. Ricky was diagnosed in May 2022 with Progressive Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis, the most rare form of MS that affects less than 5% of MS diagnosed patients. On May 20th of that year, in just a twinkling of an eye, Ricky couldn't move his legs...at all. That day he lost his ability to walk and all of the freedoms that come with that privilege. Ricky and Michelle's world turned upside down that day and they have been living that \"new normal\" ever since. Michelle had quit her job at Amazon a couple of years before because his health had been declining going back to even 2019. He was falling more frequently, and experiencing extreme weakness and poor balance. In December 2020, she became self-employed - driving for Uber and Lyft and delivering DoorDash, Instacart and Spark, as it became necessary for her to have a flexible schedule to be home when Ricky needed her. Those first 6 months following his May '22 diagnosis were the hardest months to navigate for them both.  Michelle had been a full-time caregiver in the past for other patients who were in hospice, but caregiving full-time for the man she loves and cares for - watching him mourn the death of a body he had known his whole life - proved to be much more challenging than any other time she can remember. The emotional toll, the mental toll, the exhaustion, the feeling that your life is on hold for someone else's, not to mention, all of the empathetic and sympathetic emotions she feels FOR him and the enormous loss of \"life\" he feels - Michelle understands every caregiver out there and all of the common emotions you feel. She has had no help from family on either side (her mom has been the only constant support in her life - but she lives a state away and unable to come to Tennessee to help). Family either walked away the moment they found out - on Father's Day 2022 - or they have exploited Ricky's disabilities and kept him from being able to communicate with his mom for the past 3 years. They used to talk 3 - 5 times a day on the phone. They kept each other company when I would go out to work for a bit. That has just become more emotional stress that has led to physical issues for him over the last 3 years. Ricky and Michelle have survived some incredible ups and downs since being diagnosed. Although Michelle has been very thankful for the gig platforms she has used to keep the bills paid as much as possible, (\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eRicky does not get disability and the VA won't help) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003emusic has always been Michelle's first love. She started playing piano at age 8. She played violin around that same time for a few years. Ricky taught her how to play guitar about 14 years ago, just before his MS started to take hold of his own hands (he is a world-champion guitar player with many accolades over decades with legends such as Paul Simon, Wayne Newton, Paul Overstreet, Bob Dylan, Shania Twain, and many many more - - music has been the #1 thing in his life that MS has robbed him of) and she has been singing her whole life - in school choirs, All-State Chorus all 4 years of HS, church choirs, ensembles, solos, duets, trios - you name it, she was singing it. But unknown to most people who have known her, Michelle has suffered from extreme stage fright her whole life, and therefore, loves much more being behind the scenes. She has worked in and around the music industry most of her life. So when the songs started flowing out of her, she started typing - and thus began Amplified Imagination Studios. Michelle has a real passion for those who aren't celebrated enough - those suffering from diseases not understood by many, such as MS, the caregivers, the family members mourning a loved one who is still here physically - and has found a release through songwriting and storytelling, with the hopes that her music can bring peace or comfort or company to anyone going through their most difficult chapters in life. This collection is inspired by the experiences of caregivers, survivors, and loved ones, and developed through the storytelling of Michelle Mullins.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/amplifiedimaginationstudios.com\/collections\/multiple-sclerosis-awareness.oembed","provider":"Amplified Imagination Studios LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}