Dear Editor,

My name is Regina A. Lisella, I live in Pennsylvania and I'm writing to ask the community to support the Lifespan Respite Care Program. During November National Caregiver Awareness Month the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, patient organizations and I want to remind people and government of the importance of family.Family caregivers provide 80 percent of long-term care to the chronically ill in the United States. In fact, estimates of the economic value of our nation's more than 64 million uncompensated family care-partners are between $450 billion and $522 billion.To put it into perspective, that is more than the total cost of Medicaid spending in 2009. Family caregivers are vital for many reasons, including enabling their loved one to remain at home in their communities. As you can imagine, caring for someone with a chronic illness can be hard work.In 2006, Congress authorized the Lifespan Respite Care Program, the only federal program that addresses respite issues regardless of age or disability. The program has provided grants to 32 states and the District of Columbia to help better deliver quality respite services for our nation's care-partners.Since multiple sclerosis can strike at any age, most often between the ages of 20 and 50, this program is SO important. Sadly, many other respite programs don't benefit families affected by MS because of their young age.Access to respite improves care-partners' health and promotes family stability. The work of family care-partners can prevent significant costs to the health care system and taxpayers.Please contact your members of Congress today to ask them to continue to fund the Lifespan Respite Care Program in the final fiscal year 2015 appropriations bill. Care-partners all over the United States and the family members who rely on them are counting on you!@$:Sincerely,Regina A. LisellaNational Multiple Sclerosis activist/advocate