Sylvia Lawry (née: Friedman; born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York, June 28, 1915) was a social campaigner on behalf of people with

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

. She founded the

National Multiple Sclerosis Society The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1946. It is an organization dedicated to supporting individuals affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) and funding research to find a cure for the diseas ...

(United States) in 1947 and co-founded the

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) was established in 1967 as an international body linking the activities of various national MS societies. The federation seeks to partner with member societies and the international scienti ...

in the same year. Lawry was at university studying law when her brother Bernard Friedman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The family's experience prompted Lawry to place an advert in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' seeking others affected by the disease. She received 50 replies. Recognising the need for more research and information, she brought together 20 prominent research scientists and went on to form the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 1965 Lawry called a meeting in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, Austria, to persuade more countries to join the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation. She was joined by

Shirley Temple Black Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

, who was also a campaigner for those affected by multiple sclerosis. The meeting was tense and there was some uncertainty in the room. The turning point came when Shirley Temple Black stood up:

'She looked around the room, making eye contact with many of the delegates. Then she asked, "What have you got to lose?" There really was no risk, she argued, financial or otherwise. "We're all here for the same reason," she insisted, "and that's to wipe out multiple sclerosis."

Bernard Friedman died of MS-related causes in 1973. Lawry knew that there were many other people with multiple sclerosis who needed help. She worked with Senator Charles Tobey of

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, whose daughter had MS, to lobby Congress. Eventually she and Tobey persuaded them to adopt legislation establishing what is now the

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). It conducts and funds research on brain and nervous system disorders and has a budget of just over US$2.03 billion. The ...

(NINDS). Lawry died on February 24, 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawry, Sylvia 1915 births 2001 deaths American health activists