Clinton native donates publication proceeds

Clinton native Dorcas Beatty, creator and editor of Red Leaves Publication, is sending all of her March proceeds to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

Beatty created her publication in January of 2020.

“It is a publication designed or created for women of all cultures to encourage them to uplift their spirit,” Beatty commented. “As women sometimes we go through so much. We get downhearted about the issues of life whether it’s our children or our marriages, finances, health. I designed this publication to uplift the spirit of women.”

The publication is printed every month. It is similar to a newsletter, according to Beatty, but it is a little more advanced.

Beatty has women of faith send her articles every month. Some women she knows very well, some not so much.

“They have something to say and something to share with women as they’re going through so much,” Beatty said of the women who write for her publication. “That’s why it was established and that’s what it’s all about.”

Beatty usually does a walk-a-thon for the MS Foundation since 2013. But because of the pandemic, Beatty has not been able to host the event due to safety concerns. March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.

“I though I would donate whatever funds I get for the MS Foundation,” Beatty explained. “I’m selling ads to those who wish to buy one. Churches, people, businesses, entrepreneurs, if you would like to buy an ad, you can purchase one. The proceeds of these ads will also go to the MS Foundation because it’s part of that, it’s a fundraiser.”

Beatty was inspired to create a benefit for MS because she herself has MS. She is a Clinton native who was diagnosed in 2003. She stated that she was minding her own business and then she started having symptoms such as she could hardly walk. She had numbness in her lower extremities and pain.

“I have MS but it doesn’t have me,” Beatty stated. “What inspired me is that I continuously try to help the MS Foundation because they’ve really helped me.

Beatty explained that she had a sister who also had MS. She died from a complication in 2010 from complications.

“Losing her, I started working with the MS Foundation to do the walk-a-thon,” Beatty went on. “It was the thing that inspired me to create this magazine.”

Beatty now lives in Harrells now but stated that her life is basically in Clinton. Her daughter lives in Clinton, she shops in Clinton, etc.

The MS Foundation do things like giving out a cold vest to people who get hot flashes from MS, they give out desktop computers, laptops, anything to better someone’s life who has MS. They want to uplift spirits, according to Beatty.

The Clinton native has been retired since 2003 because when the symptoms came, they came on pretty strong.

“It can be depressing and overwhelming but I would tell them to hang in there because a better day is ahead,” Beatty would tell someone who just got a diagnosis of MS. “Listen to the doctors. Some of the things they tell you or some of the things they give you are not perfect but if you can just hang in there, keep your spirits up. Keep a smile on your face and keep your head up. Keep moving and find something to do to help you keep going. Every day is not sunshine. Every day is not perfect. I’m not trying to give anyone a since of false hope. For those who have faith in God, he is able to keep us from falling.”

Beatty noted that MS can be debilitating, depressing and painful and there is no cure.

“Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body,” the National Multiple sclerosis Society defined.

Beatty has 12 lesions on her brain and one on her spine. She noted that because of those lesions called white matter, she has issues with walking, remembering, thinking, and left sided weakness and pain. MS is the breakdown of myelin from the central nervous system that causes debilitation in areas of the body, Beatty explained. MS destroys myelin.

If anyone wants to purchase a publication, they can email Beatty at dorcasbeatt@gmail.com or call 910-385-2056 for more information.