Man overcomes disease to be an example

A Colorado man who was nearly paralyzed by multiple sclerosis has struggled back to climb mountains, literally, and is bringing his story to Iowans next week. Eric Simmons is a lawyer and father of three and was 40 years old when he was diagnosed with M-S. That was five years ago and he was debilitated.35-hundred Iowans are afflicted with M-S, which often disables the central nervous system which affects the brain and spinal cord. Simmons had done mountain climbing before he was diagnosed and says the spirit of the sport helped him to strive to recover and overcome the challenges of M-S.Simmons says he’s exhilarated by his personal triumphs and hopes to motivate Iowans who have M-S to push themselves to greater heights.Simmons speaks Tuesday during a presentation in Des Moines that will be carried via the Iowa Communications Network to 16 other cites. They include: Ames, Atlantic, Burlington, Calmar, Carroll, Clarinda, Davenport, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Mason City, Oelwein, Ottumwa, Sioux City, Spencer and Waterloo. For details, call 800 344-4867.