Day of Hope, a photo from Bihor, West

Photographer's Note

Today, the 6th of June 2007 - Day of Hope for the Multiple Sclerosis Society from Oradea and its members - who organized a march aiming to inform the locals and not only about this condition and the difficulties those affected with it have to face on a daily basis, because Multiple Sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults.

Younger and older suffering people - some in wheelchairs, their families, the society's members and several volunteers marched in silence and dignity through the city center, carrying banners with:

Multiple sclerosis - condition affecting the young adult

Multiple sclerosis - the condition with a thousand faces

ACCEPT US - WE ARE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

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Multiple Sclerosis (abbreviated MS, also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata) is a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating disease that affects the central nervous system. MS can cause a variety of symptoms, including changes in sensation, visual problems, muscle weakness, depression, difficulties with coordination and speech, severe fatigue, cognitive impairment, problems with balance, overheating, and pain. MS will cause impaired mobility and disability in more severe cases.

Multiple sclerosis affects neurons, the cells of the brain and spinal cord that carry information, create thought and perception, and allow the brain to control the body (... read more here).
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For those of you interested to contribute or help in any way, here are just a few links - even though i'm sure you will find one closer to you - wherever you are - in no time.

Multiple Sclerosis National Society Romania
Multiple Sclerosis Society UK
Ligue francaise contre la Sclerose en plague
Associazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla
Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft
National Multiple Sclerosis Society US
Multiple Sclerosis Australia
Multiple Sclerosis International Federation

Thank you!

Paolo, pat0500, japiey, Irina75, Iuli, flory, Dpbours, scobert, zips has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Paolo (41258) 2007-06-06 12:47

Hi Teodora, beautiful image, with an important message full of hope and a good composition with high quality and a brilliant POV.
thanks, ciao

Gustaw (21670) 2007-06-06 13:16

Hi, my friend!
It is interesting photo with interesting sytuation. I like your people. It is good white and black photo. Good composition. Good idea.
Marek

pat0500 (21561) 2007-06-06 13:19

Hi Teodora,
A very good picture with a great message and a very good note..! Thank you...!
Very nice composition and good idea for choice B/W..
Best regards,
Patrick

Luciano75 (0) 2007-06-06 13:23

Buna Dora

Super compozitie si mesaj...
Se pare ca participi la toate evenimentele din Oradea...:)
A/N e bine ales pentru o asa fotografie.

O seara placuta,
Lucian

japiey (10163) 2007-06-06 13:27

Hi Teo.

"I knew nothing....
Behind the half remembered word,
A monster lay in wait....
Shrinking my strength,
Slurring my speech
Leaving me to fate..... "
*************************
Interesting to see your image and read, don't know what to expect in the years to come, don't like to read the scary stuff, don't want to end up a dribbling idiot in a wheelchair!!

THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATIVE AND SENSITIVE IMAGE.

jean paul

Irina75 (1502) 2007-06-06 14:41

Hi Teodora,
I'm trully admirative in front of these people who continue to stragle despite of everything... demands a lot of courage,
Sincere thanks for sharing this moment... definitely something to think about
Regards,
Irina

mesutilgim (0) 2007-06-06 16:21

Hello dear Dora,
Great capture, very nice b&w job and very sensitive catch and great info's.
Congratulations for this perfect shot and TFS MESUT ILGIM

Luko (14000) 2007-06-06 17:55

I'm surprized Gal hasn't already put this one in his theme, or probably is he looking for a way to put it three times in his wheel chair theme.

Informative picture, that's its goal, I don't want to talk about anything else, as for an informative picture it reached its target to whoever opened the thumbnail I think, I'm just disappointed there were not enough people to open it.

I cannot say why I associate sclerosis with Ronnie Lane who died from it, he was a singer of a successful Rock band in the 70's called the Faces (their singer was Rod Stewart maybe "Ooh La La" rings a bell). It just shows rock stars may also ride a wheel chair someday.

flory (4848) 2007-06-07 1:02

of,Dora,din pacate,stiinta medicinei n-are inca un raspuns la foarte multe boli..una ramane scleroza in plagi,una din cele mai degenerative boli...draga mea,sunt multe boli in Romania care nu beneficiaza de absolut nimic,cateva programe nationale si atata..nu fii trista,Dora,oamenii care sufera au mai mult loc in inima lor pentru iubire,o altfel de iubire..hm
flory

Dpbours (222) 2007-06-07 3:40

Hello Teodora,

A nice photograph with a very informative note. I like photographs like these; informative, almost reporter-style, but not sad, not pityfull. Your note is as your shot, with dignity.
The hope isn't even for the people who live with MS, but for us. For us to understand how it must be to live with MS and as such that we learn to treat people with MS in a way that we would like to be treated as well.

Greetings, Dennis

batalay (41261) 2007-06-07 7:46

Hi Dora,

Very effective photo you've created to bring attention to the vicissitudes and hardship of MS sufferers. Choosing b/w is brilliant, to make it more serious, more grave, more timeless. The composition as a brigade of wheelchairs in orderly progression is also very good.

Warm regards,
Bulent

jmcl (14535) 2007-06-07 12:16

Hi Dora,

It is the details of individual expression within the large group of marchers that makes this .. the image succeeds so well at communicating individual stories and the sense of a large mass of people.

take care,

John

kfreud (1231) 2007-06-08 6:44 [Comment]

Show Comment

ninaL (21348) 2007-06-08 8:25

Hi, Tea. Important shot...interesting scene.
I like your B&W conversion.
Just a little pitty for croped head...
Best regards. Grazyna.

scobert (5355) 2007-06-08 9:38

Hello Teodora,
Thank you for sharing your photo with us and reminding us how devastating of an affliction MS is. The people in the photo are very brave and probably don't complain much. They just live with MS on a day to day basis the best they can. Parkinson's Disease is somewhat similiar, though not quite as debilitating, and affects middle-aged and older adults (Michael J. Fox for one). We can all count our blessings if we have our health. A very good photo and good idea to convert this to B&W.
Stan

Galeota (10352) 2007-06-08 14:58

Ok Dora, I've taken a while, had seen it before, but finally found a few minutes to type some words. As you already know, I'm pretty much sensitive to illness in general, and particularly people who have to live without the ability of walking, everyone tends to forget since it seems so natural and common. I am with them, and I share their hope (even if not their pain). Perhaps their lives don't rock, but they definitely roll.

bantonbuju (51815) 2007-06-10 3:00

how a good-hearted peorson you must be, dora, and sensitive, and you "explore" these features and transfer them into photography, and you feed us with a perfectly composed material which is not a two-sec-glimpse-at but a fully boodied "fruit"...
best wishes, j.

faubry (35447) 2007-06-30 1:56

re buna Teo, n-am vezut aceasta poze anainte... important si tare mesaj ptr scleroza, frumos BW.
ai bun inima.. multumesc
francine

vedra (0) 2007-07-04 23:40

Hi Thea,
It is really great from you to dedicate this shot to people that have problems with MS, in order to help to raise awareness about that disease. Great notes, too.
As for your shot, I like the tighter crop, giving us with an opportunity to concentrate basically to these two people in the foreground. I especially like the expression you captured on a face of the young woman in a wheelchair: so honest and trustful.
Vedrana

jinju (14265) 2007-07-05 17:55

Hi teodora,

illness is awful. The worst thig is illness in childhood. My son was a bit sick so we took him to the hospital. he turned out to just have a bit of a light fever, none of the scary possibilities we were told about...but spending 3 days in the children's area and seeing the awful diseases kids get (bad hearts, unknown liver problems, children that are half the size they should be ebcause they are sick all the time). Its just terrible. Illness is a monster. This shot is sensitive and informative.

zips (1958) 2007-08-07 4:03

These types of photographs are very popular and I like your low POV, the best way to capture these folks IMHO.

I have known few folks with MS so I think this is great that you are showing them to people who may not be aware of them.

Great Job
Aloha, JB