INDIANAPOLIS — The downtown canal will turn orange to raise awareness for people living with multiple sclerosis on Friday, March 1.
March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month and according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, orange represents the strength and resiliency of people living with MS. The debilitating disease affects 2.3 million people worldwide.
The dyeing of the canal is happening at the Ohio Street section of the canal, located between the Indiana Historical Society and the State Office building.
Actress Selma Blair appeared exclusively on ABC to talk about her battle with MS earlier this week.
The 46-year-old, who is known for her roles in cult classics like Cruel Intention, Legally Blonde and The Sweetest Thing, now struggles to do what most of us take for granted every day.
Above (in the video player) is a portion of her interview with ABC's Robin Roberts.
Blair says in the interview:
"I cried. I had tears. I wasn't -- they weren't tears of panic. They were tears of knowing I now had to give in to a body that had loss of control. And there was some relief in that. 'Cause ever since my son was born, I was in an MS flare-up and didn't know. And I was giving it everything to seem normal... "And so when I got the diagnosis, I cried with some relief. Like, 'Oh, good, I'll be able to do something.'"
Local residents can raise money to bring an end to MS on Saturday, April 13 by taking part in "Walk MS" at White River State Park.
