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The story of one refugee who has dedicated himself to a life of service.

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Peace Corps

Peter Ter doesn't know how old he is. That is the first surprising thing he'll share about his remarkable life, and it's only the beginning.

Peter was born into a family of cattle farmers in Sudan. He grew up during a decades-long conflict that is one of the longest civil war​s on record. When he was young, he was separated from his parents and sent to live in a refugee camp in Kenya.

When representatives from the United States government met Peter in the refugee camp in 2001, they measured his height and stature to guess his age and year of birth. The year they selected was 1980, making him 36 years old. Even then, it’s only a guess.


Peter Ter, center, teaching Azerbaijani students how to throw an American football. All images from Peter Ter, used with permission.

As a child, to keep up his spirits, Peter focused on a singular goal: learning to read and write in English.

“I was born in a place where there were no pens or pencils,” he says. “I wanted to be somebody and I knew learning English would help me get there. I didn’t want the past to hold me back.”

Peter’s refugee camp was massive, and the school supplies that could help him practice English were next to impossible to come by. So, he improvised.

Day after day, he would practice writing the alphabet — and later, words and phrases — by writing them over and over in the sand.

“One day, one of the elders in the camp came by and watched me writing in the sand. He said ‘The sun is very hot, and you are working hard. One day the world will be like a soccer ball in your hands,’” recalls Peter. The old man then gave him a blue pen — his first. Using pieces of old cardboard he found in waste bins at the nearby UN compound, Peter practiced writing with the pen until it ran out of ink. When it did, he burned sticks to create charcoal so he could keep writing and learning.

In 2001, Peter immigrated to the United States.

He immediately began to pursue his education, earning a degree in political science from the University of Florida. After graduation, he considered joining the U.S. Marines, until a mentor recommended a different path: the Peace Corps.

Since 2009, Peter's spent nearly five years volunteering with the Peace Corps in three very different parts of the world: Azerbaijan, China, and the country of Georgia.

Peter learns to play mah–jongg from some seventh-grade students he tutored in Chonqqing, China.

“In all three countries I volunteered, I felt loved, valued, and appreciated,” recalls Peter. “I learned that if a person can overcome his or her fears and become resilient and tenacious, then they can do a lot to represent America abroad.”

Peter receives an honorary diploma with a painted picture of himself from his students and colleagues in Georgia.

Peter doesn't seem like someone whose early life was filled with sadness, anxiety, and war-time trauma.

His energy is ebullient; his laughter, infectious. He credits his favorite U.S. presidents — Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy — for inspiring his positive worldview.

“Through studying American history, I developed a great admiration for President Lincoln. I appreciate his views on forgiveness,” says Peter. “He has this quote that stuck with me: ‘better give your path to a dog than be bitten by him in contesting for the right; not even killing the dog will cure the bite.’ When I was younger, I was very angry about being separated from my parents. But focusing on that didn’t help me. Lincoln knew that; now, I know it too.”

President Kennedy inspires him for a different reason: service. “President Kennedy was born into a wealthy family, but he served his country fearlessly, and when he became president, he founded the Peace Corps. I know he would appreciate my service, just like I respect his.”

Peter finished his last round of service with the Peace Corps in September.

Peter and a community mullah drink tea and discuss equal education for girls and boys beyond secondary school in Gardabani, Georgia.

He's planning to go back to school for a second master's degree, this time studying foreign policy and national security at American University. After that, the world really is — as that elder told him so many years ago — his soccer ball. It might involve public service work, potentially in government or at a think tank promoting sustainable development. It may even be working with the military on his passion: a national security policy based on promoting mutual understanding and friendship. All of those careers are open to him — partly because of his focus and dedication to learning and partly because of his experience in the Peace Corps.

Peter and two of his students in Gardabani, Georgia.

“America restored my dignity and gave me a valuable education. I want to do everything I can to say thank you,” says Peter proudly. “As Kennedy says, 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.' Service is my answer, wherever that takes me.”

Learn more about how to start your own Peace Corps journey.

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

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It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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