Can Do Multiple Sclerosis

Can Do MS delivers health and wellness education programs to help families living with MS thrive.

Can Do MS delivers a range of individualized, experiential programs to people with MS and their support partners, empowering them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become active co-managers of their health. 

The organization's programs and resources focus on areas of life with MS such as nutrition, exercise, cognition, fatigue, relationships, family planning, employment, and more.

All programs are free of charge for individuals living with MS and their support partners. 

Impact

In 2020, Can Do MS impacted 77,769 participants, including people living with MS and their families, through 86 programs.

4-Star Charity Navigator Rating

In December 2020, Can Do MS earned another 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. This is the 11th time that Can Do MS has earned this top distinction, showing that the organization uses donor dollars in a fiscally responsible way to further its mission of delivering health and wellness education programs that help families with MS thrive.

History

“FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO.”
-Jimmie Heuga

Since 1984, Can Do MS, formerly The Jimmie Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis, has been at the forefront of promoting the culture and belief that everyone living with MS has the power to live full lives. 

Our organization honors the legacy and beliefs of founder Jimmie Heuga, a pioneer in the MS care management field who was diagnosed with MS in 1970. At the time of his diagnosis, and in line with conventional medical wisdom of the time, Jimmie was advised to avoid physical activity to manage his condition and preserve his health. As a former Olympian and high-caliber athlete, he rebelled against this prescribed sedentary lifestyle. He began developing his own program of exercise, nutrition, and mental motivation to improve his physical condition and outlook on life with MS. Jimmie spent years sharing and teaching the principles that transformed his life from one of uncertainty to one of an active pursuit of personal health and well-being. Today the whole-person philosophy and approach that Jimmie pioneered in 1984 is acknowledged within the MS community as a standard of MS care.