Meet Trish Rawls who is a person with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Fairfield Harbour added quality to he
Trish Rawls was diagnosed with MS in December, 2006. Her downhill health spiral went from being a childhood multi-sport athlete, to a technical writer at General Dynamics, and now facing many symptoms associated with MS.
Trish, a NC native, started her career in 1998 with General Dynamics in Greensboro, but was then transferred to Massachusetts in 2004. It was there, in 2006, that she was diagnosed with MS. Now she was a single parent with a young son, a long ways from family in NC, and a newly diagnosed patient with a long-lasting disease that disrupts communication between the brain and body. Overwhelmed, in July 2007, she transferred back to NC to be closer to her family. This is where she met her soon to be husband, retired Marine - Jesse Rawls. Her life continued to be a rocky road as she battled to find an MS therapy to slow it’s progression.
In 2013, the couple married and decided they needed a change. Jesse found a job at Cherry Point, Trish found a job at Bosch Siemens Home Appliances, Inc., and the couple moved to Oriental, NC. After continuing to struggle with the battles MS causes in one's life and feeling isolated in Oriental, the couple decided to move to New Bern to be closer to Trish’s job. In April 2013, they purchased a lovely home in Fairfield Harbour. Although still struggling to find a treatment to slow down the progression of MS, once in Fairfield Harbour, Trish met her new neighbors, John and Judi Adams. John and Judi both rode trikes. Unlike a bicycle, three-wheel trikes have a stable platform that minimizes balance issues. Through the help and support of Flythe's Bike Shop, Trish bought a trike for herself. By peddling her trike, Trish’s legs became stronger and she now rides as much as 30 miles a day. All of her new neighbors on the street have become her best friends and are a built in support system. For Trish, living in Fairfield Harbour has been a life-changing experience. Trish’s physical exercise regimen is crucial, but having good friends is just as important. Fairfield Harbour is a community where friends feel like family and Trish Rawls is a prime example.
