CCU student makes a positive impact by raising awareness about multiple sclerosis and cancer
Vilmarie Ocasio never expected to become an advocate for multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer prevention awareness. But after lobbying in the senate of Puerto Rico, becoming the founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization, and winning several awards for her work, the Coastal Carolina University student has made a significant impact for MS patients in Puerto Rico.
“It started off small and it became huge,” said Ocasio. “It takes time and effort, but it’s not impossible [to make a difference].”
Ocasio, a native Manati, Puerto Rico, is a sophomore communication major with a minor in public health. She completed one semester of college in Puerto Rico, then she transferred to CCU for the spring semester in 2018.
She moved to the United States with her mother and brother after Hurricane Maria left 80 percent of the island with no power or running water in fall 2017. “My family and I decided to move to South Carolina because with my mother’s condition, she could not handle the circumstances that the island presented,” said Ocasio.
Ocasio’s mother, Vilma, had sought medical treatment for various symptoms since 2008, but her doctors could not diagnose her illness. She showed typical MS symptoms, such as fatigue, numbness and weakness in her right leg, tingling and pain throughout her whole body, and electric-shock sensations in her hands, face and legs. Eventually, in 2014 a neurologist diagnosed her mother with multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the central nervous system.
According to Ocasio, the last straw that led her mother to seek out a doctor who could diagnose her problem was when she lost coordination so badly and felt tremors to the point that she could no longer write her name.
“My family and I didn’t have access to information about what MS is, the symptoms of MS, or anything,” said Ocasio. “At that time, we felt lost and really unhopeful about my mother's outcome. I even thought that I would not have a mother by next year.”
Read Vilmarie's full story at Coastal Now here.
