In August 2024, Dominic spoke with Prof G (Gavin Giovannoni) at Barts in London about ways to raise money for MS. With the impending update to the global best practice standards for MS Brain Health - msbrainhealth.org - being launched at ECTRIMS 2024 in Copenhagen, they settled on a fundraising ride across Canada to raise an ambitious $1 million to support global MS Brain Health initiatives. 

The man behind all this died in Feb 2024. He was an MS neurologist that I knew as a patient and as a cycle enthusiast. He was a super guy called Matt Craner and you can read about him here.

It sounds simple, but it’s a massive logistical challenge. Gavin has now retired from clinical practice and is devoted to research into the role of the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in MS. 

Dominic, who runs theMSguide.com, took up the mantle and is being ably helped by a colleague named Lisa who has volunteered to be his personal assistant. However, ‘personal assistant’ doesn't really do it justice. Lisa has over 30 years of experience organising large projects and managing teams, and she keeps reminding Dominic how fortunate he is to have her support.

There is a budget to run the trip alongside the fundraising target, and several companies have already contributed 40% of the required funds. In addition, the trip is receiving substantial material support. Please visit the sponsors page to see who these generous people are and what they do.

There is a great deal more - constant if you ask him - of physical conditioning required of Dominic. There is also the small matter of the fact that he has had MS for 32 years. As Dominic acknowledges, he is a competent cyclist but not a great walker anymore, and certainly no dancer! You can follow his effort/pain/mistakes/sweating on theMSguide.com YouTube channel, where he posts daily Shorts on the training, as well as weekly expert interviews about MS Brain Health with a global panel of experts.

This fundraising effort required a partner that aligned with the Brain Health principles and was also capable of properly managing and safely processing global donations. We have partnered with an incredible non-profit (a charity for those of us outside the USA) called The Brain Health Centre of the Rockies. Please check out their website to learn more about their expertise and experience.; you'll soon see why we have partnered with them.

Not only is it a secure place for your donation, but to ensure the money raised is spent on global MS Brain Health projects, we have formed an advisory panel comprising of Dominic Shadbolt, Prof Klaus Schmierer, Lisa Dalton and one other TBA.