OLD BRIDGE – The novel coronavirus pandemic did not stop the close-knit Abarno family of five – four girls and one boy – from continuing to support one of their own.
Michael Abarno was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in November 2012. MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, involves an immune-mediated process in which an abnormal response of the body’s immune system is directed against the central nervous system.
After Abarno’s diagnosis, his siblings Maria Berardi, Theresa Abarno, Stephanie Pontebbi and Patrice Tranchina formed Sisters For Cure and have participated in the National MS Society’s annual 5K Walk MS for six years.
The siblings and their families were gearing up for the 2020 walk, which was supposed to be held in Asbury Park on May 3. However due to COVID-19, the walk turned into a virtual walk. The families gathered at Tranchina’s home in Old Bridge and set off on a five to six mile walk around the neighborhood, all while social distancing as individual families.
The families wore their homemade T-shirts with their last names on the back for the walk.
“We still wanted to do something positive especially being that there isn’t much positive of anything these days,” Tranchina said, adding they wanted to continue the family’s tradition to raise money for the terrible disease.
It was in 2012 when Abarno had been complaining of a feeling of pins and needles in his legs, Tranchina said.
“He kept putting off going to the doctor, but finally decided to go as the feeling was not going away,” she said. “He made an appointment with a neurologist thinking maybe it was a pinched nerve or something like that. The doctor sent him for an MRI and [he] was diagnosed just a couple of days later. We are a super close family and were all devastated by the news.”
The family felt they needed to do something to help, and found Walk MS.
“It’s an amazing cause that raises money for research for people living with MS,” she said. “You would never even know that my brother is sick. He never ever complains that he doesn’t feel good even though we know he doesn’t. He grew up in a house being the only boy with four sisters. My sisters and I always took care of him and always had his back so there was nothing that was going to stop us from fighting for him.”
Sisters For Cure has raised $1,472 and they are still fundraising.
For more information, visit www.nationalmssociety.org/.
