Listening to Thomas Witter proudly talk about his family, his 30-year career as a senior executive at Stelco, and of course his famous brother Jim, you wouldn't know the 53-year-old lifelong Hamilton resident is facing the battle of his life.

"I am lucky," said Thomas, who suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS). "I had a great career at Stelco after graduating from McMaster, my hometown university. I have a fantastic wife and I am blessed with two incredible children."

Change lifestyle

In 1998, Thomas was forced to change his lifestyle and retire from a successful career when he was diagnosed with MS. Since that time, the disease has progressed to level seven.

MS is a disease of the central nervous system. An estimated 55,000 to 75,000 Canadians have multiple sclerosis, and about three more are diagnosed with MS every day.

The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord.

The body's immune system normally fights off harmful invaders such as disease-causing bacteria and viruses, and helps keep body tissues healthy. But in autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakenly begins to attack the body's own tissue, for reasons that are not fully understood. MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system.

In MS, the immune system attacks the body's myelin, which is the covering or "insulation" around the nerve cells (neurons). This causes inflammation, which damages the myelin. Without their protective layer, the nerve cells themselves can be damaged (neurodegeneration).

"At level eight, you are typically in a wheelchair," said Thomas. "Right now I struggle with mobility, have had my sight affected and am constantly fatigued. They say that MS is not a fatal disease. However, the life expectancy for people with MS is 15 years short of average.

"But I'm still a young man and I still try and do what I can do."

Instead of wallowing at his predicament, Thomas has been energized into fundraising initiatives.

On Oct. 16, Thomas and brother Jim present A Cause For A Concert, featuring an evening of music from the '60s, '70s and '80s.

This is second annual concert, and funds raised will go towards local research initiatives into ALS, cancer, leukemia lymphoma and of course, MS.

"Jim has been good enough to take time from his busy schedule to do this performance," said Thomas. "While Jim has been very successful both national and internationally, his priorities are in line. He has a fantastic family. We are all very proud of him and what he has achieved."

Thomas has been an active fundraiser for the MS Society, Hamilton Chapter, for years, and admits he was a little nervous about organizing a concert of this scale.

However, last year, more than 1,250 people came out for the first annual fundraising concert with Jim Witter, and Thomas is expecting upwards of 1,800 will come out for a very special night Oct. 16 at Hamilton Place.

Thomas said reviews of last year's concert were very positive.

"Everybody had fun, it was such a great evening," he said. "This year Jim will present a brand new show, called Music of Our Lives. It will feature many classic songs from the '60s, '70s and '80s. I'm sure everyone will recognize these songs. Plus, Jim has such a great band. I guarantee this will be a wonderful evening."

Tickets for this special concert are available through www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling the Copps Coliseum box office, 905-527-7666.

Tickets for reserved seating range from $30 to $15.