West Hartford Woman Bikes To Battle MS

WEST HARTFORD, CT – Many things for West Hartford resident Becky Dorfman could be called lucky. It’s lucky that her disease was noticed quickly, and it’s lucky that her employer already knew her diagnosis well.

It’s lucky that she found a solid support system, and you could even say that it’s lucky she can still ride a bike. All of these circumstances make it even more meaningful when Dorfman saddles up each June and sets off on a 25-mile bike ride to raise funds, and awareness, for a disease she continues to defeat every single day.

When Becky Dorfman went in for a MRI in October 2011 for an ongoing medical condition, her doctor noticed lesions that had not appeared on any of her earlier scans – something that would not be a result of what they were monitoring. But, without any other symptoms, there wasn’t anything yet to diagnose.

Four months later, Dorfman began experiencing vision issues which doctors diagnosed as a bout of optic neuritis, a disruption of vision when the optic nerve becomes inflamed. While Dorfman’s vision returned, doctors decided that the symptom should be looked into more carefully, especially with a known history of lesions. After a spinal tap to confirm what doctors already suspected, Dorfman received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

More than 6,500 Connecticut residents, like Dorfman, have self-identified with the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, as living with MS, a potentially debilitating disease.

The cause is unknown and there is currently no cure. Symptoms can include numbness in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness, loss of mobility and, in some more severe cases, total paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.

“When I received the diagnosis, it was shocking,” commented Dorfman, a post-sales product support specialist with the Enfield-based company A.W. Hastings, a New England distributor for Marvin Windows and Doors. “The first thing I wanted to do was talk to the people closest to me – my family, friends and the people that I spend the majority of my waking hours with – my colleagues.”

In fact, Dorfman says she found it extremely freeing to be able to share her diagnosis with her boss, Chris Neill, whose own wife had received the same diagnosis 20 years ago.

“I am so lucky that I’ve never had the fear of sharing my diagnosis with my employer and colleagues,” Dorfman continued. “I’ve read so much about and hear many times that people will not disclose their diagnosis for fear of negative reactions. But A.W. Hastings isn’t just a family-owned company – the support I’ve received makes it really feel like a family that has my back in all of this.”

And it’s not just Dorfman’s health and wellness that A.W. Hastings supports – the company is very involved with supporting community organizations and charities, including the National MS Society.

“After Chris Neill’s wife, Andrea, was diagnosed with MS, the company became very involved with the National MS Society and started a fundraising team, the Wolf Pack,” said Dorfman, sharing that the team’s namesake was actually a promotion for Marvin Windows that launched in the 90s around the same time. “The promotion ended about 10 years ago, but the name stuck.”

In 2014, the Wolf Pack shifted from participating in an MS Hike and Bike event in the Berkshires to the Windsor-based Bike MS ride organized by the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter.

“I took part in the MS Hike and Bike event well before my own diagnosis in support of Andrea, never imagining that one day I’d be on the receiving end of that same support,” shared Dorfman. “I was always involved in the hiking aspect in the Berkshires, but when my doctors encouraged me to stay active to help maintain my mobility in spite of having MS, I decided to start cycling, too.”

Despite spasticity in her legs, fatigue and some numbness and tingling in her extremities, Dorfman has ridden 25 miles in the Bike MS event for the past two years, and plans to do so again this June.

The 2016 Bike MS Praxair Off the Chain Ride, presented by Griffin Industrial Realty and Louis Dreyfus Company, will be held Sunday, June 5, in Windsor. A second ride will take place Sunday, June 12, in Norwalk.

This year, Windsor’s Bike MS is Off the Chain, with the most exciting rides and the most entertaining post ride celebration yet. Participants will wind their way through the Connecticut countryside before crossing the finish line and being welcomed with a cold brew from Broad Brook Brewing Company, some hot barbecue from Danny’s Little Taste of Texas and a rejuvenating massage.

Cyclists, including Dorfman and the rest of the Wolf Pack team which includes Dorfman’s husband Andrew, will gather at Griffin Center Business Park in Windsor, opting to cycle 10-, 25-, 50- or even 100-miles. A two-mile ride is also available for children.

“In 2014, I registered for the 10-mile ride, but switched the morning of the ride to the 25-mile route,” said Dorfman. “I knew I could take it on and the excitement of the day kept me going. This year I’ll ride 25 again, but one day I hope to try the 50.”

All routes are well supported with fully stocked rest stops, safety provided by medical personnel, HAM radio operators, law enforcement and local bike shops.

Last year, Bike MS attracted more than 500 cyclists and raised $518,000 for the National Multiple Society, Connecticut Chapter. Funds raised by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter, through events such as Bike MS, ensure ongoing scientific research to find better treatments and a cure, as well as help to provide vital programs and services offered by the chapter to those in the state living with multiple sclerosis.

“Bike MS is a physical challenge for cyclists of every level, but it's so much more than just a ride,” said Alicia Barrows, development specialist in charge of recruitment for Bike MS at the Connecticut Chapter. “The camaraderie, passion and memories that come from sharing the experience with family, friends and teammates last a lifetime.”

Community partners include Serendipity Magazine, WFSB Channel 3, WTNH News 8, Connoisseur Media’s The FOX 95.9 and WRCH Lite 100.5, which has supported and promoted the ride for almost 30 years.

“This year the Wolf Pack is ready to take on the Bike MS challenge once more,” said Dorfman. “Hopefully, with our continued support, one day researchers will find a cure for MS.”

For more information on the 2016 Bike MS: Praxair off the Chain Ride, presented by Griffin Industrial Realty and Louis Dreyfus Company, or to donate, visit ctfightsMS.org.