Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic neurological disease in which the immune system damages nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing symptoms such as vision loss, difficulty walking, and fatigue. The disease affects nearly three million people around the world, including Betsy Coward Phillips, who has been battling the disease since 1985.
The Phillips’ decision to make the $3 million gift to the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) is rooted in gratitude to Betsy’s physician, David Hafler, the William S. and Lois Stiles Edgerly Professor of Neurology, professor of immunobiology, and former chair of the Department of Neurology at YSM.
“There are no words to describe how touched I am by Herb and Betsy’s gift,” Hafler says. “It brought me to tears. For someone like me, who has dedicated my life to both science and patient care, this recognition is an incredible honor.”