Taking the Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis to New Heights
Timothy Garrett was born with aviation in his blood. Through his early teens and twenties, he spent much of his time playing with toy airplanes, drawing aircraft and both building and flying models. Tim graduated from college with a degree in aerospace engineering and earned a private pilot license soon after in 1983. Knowing this, it is easy to see how a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) would not keep him from flying high.
After Tim began to experience numbness in his hands and feet and sensitivity to heat, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure confirmed a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in February of 1989. Not only was Tim shocked by his diagnosis, he was overcome with a sense of hopelessness, not knowing how the diagnosis would affect the pursuit of his dreams.
Tim began taking COPAXONE® (glatiramer acetate injection) therapy in 2000. While individual results may vary, with the help of a healthy diet and strong family support, and a positive attitude he was able to actively pursue his dream of building and flying his own airplane while continuing to work full time. In November 2006, after over 1,800 hours building his airplane, Tim’s dream came true – he took his pride and joy for its first flight in the skies of Missouri. Tim continues to enjoy flying and testing his plane and finding new milestones to reach, whether it be having his first passenger or making long cross-country flights.
“When I was diagnosed with MS, I lost power and control – the power of my dreams and control of my life. With the help of my therapy, I have regained the power of my dreams and control to proactively manage my disease and live my dream of planning, building and flying my aircraft,” says Tim.
Team COPAXONE®
Timothy is sponsored in part by Teva Neuroscience as a member of Team COPAXONE®. Tim is just one example of someone who is living with RRMS and pursuing his dreams. Team COPAXONE® celebrates the accomplishments of people, such as Tim, who refuse to let MS stand in their way. Members are working to change the perceptions that society holds of people living with MS.
Advances in Medicine
Continuing research has led to treatments that can modify the immune processes thought to be responsible for RRMS. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved drugs for RRMS, such as COPAXONE®.
Call at 1-800-887-8100 for more information about COPAXONE®, Team COPAXONE®, or multiple sclerosis.
097005307/090430