Scientists, health care personnel and NGO representatives filled up the beautiful halls of Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) Wednesday evening at ECTRIMS’ networking event for friends and colleagues of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). A festive atmosphere overtook the room as imaginative hors d'oeuvres were passed around and Xavier Montalban, Chair of ECTRIMS 2015, took the stage to welcome the attending guests. He ended the opening speech by inviting Mikkel Anthonisen, Founder of Oceans of Hope, and almost half of her crew living with MS, who are currently gathered in Barcelona, to come up on stage and take a bow as the world circumnavigation has now come full circle. Last time the MS crew took the stage at ECTRIMS was in Boston 2014 where they received a standing ovation after having just succeeded in crossing the Atlantic Ocean. This time in Barcelona there was a sense of acknowledgment and excitement in the audience to see a project that was first introduced to them at its relative infancy to have come to life inspiring people with MS around the world.

Mikkel Anthonisen opened his speech by giving thanks to all of the delegates who work effortlessly to find a cure for MS and emphasized the persistence, faith and optimism such an endeavour demands on a daily basis. He went on to say that the people living with MS who have crewed Oceans of Hope on her voyage around the world have succeeded in demonstrating the same qualities and virtues – overcoming their individual challenges by working together persistently for a common cause.

”Living with MS today is very different than it was 20 years ago. There are many more initiatives to change the healthcare system so as to integrate a more holistic view on human beings and Oceans of Hope represents such a view of humanity where people are regarded as assets and not reduced to their diagnosis. Oceans of Hope illustrates a way of being together and living our lives, working together to change the perceptions of what it means to live with MS. Even though you have MS, you can still sail around this wonderful blue planet,” he concluded.