Musician diagnosed with MS looks to inspire with keynote concerts

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On Monday Oct. 13, musician Jim Perona entertained a crowd at the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center with a keynote concert, a blend of his motivational words and music.

From a young age, the Wheaton native was obsessed with music and picked up the guitar as soon as he could, ultimately creating a career for himself as a classical guitarist for the last 15 years.

Perona recalls receiving life-changing diagnosis

The keynote concerts began in December 2024, sparked by a life-changing moment the musician experienced two years prior. In March 2022, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

“The day I got my MS diagnosis, it was a very strange day, as you can imagine. But what made it stranger was that it was the day of my 38th birthday. So it made for one of the more bizarre birthday presents I’m sure I’ll ever receive,” said Perona.

MS is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the brain and the spinal cord. The immune system attacks the protective layer of nerve fibers, myelin, causing damage and scarring.

Disease begins to affect the guitarist’s performance

Perona explained that the disease affects people differently, with symptoms often coming and going. For him, they include constant overheating, blurred vision, and a developed condition called Lhermitte’s sign.

“Every time I tilt my head down…an intense electric jolt sensation runs through the left side of my body. It’s actually a relatively standard symptom of MS caused by the damage the lesions have done on my cervical spinal cord,” he said.

The effects of the illness quickly began to affect his ability to perform, leaving Perona uncertain about the future.

“I felt afraid. I felt concerned. I was newly married at that point. My wife and I were already talking about expanding our family, and so these very natural, pragmatic questions of what does this mean for my career? Should I consider a different line of work, especially if I’m going to be a father soon?” he said.

Riddled with fear, Perona said he let his worries consume him; however, he soon realized he couldn’t let the diagnosis limit him. He became determined to live a normal and fulfilling life and show others they can do the same. 

To prevent Lhermitte’s sign, he relearned how to play the guitar without looking at his hands, allowing him to continue his passion. In 2023, he also ran a marathon to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, waking up at 3 a.m. each morning to beat the sunrise and train.

Turning struggles into strength with keynote concerts

Then came his keynote concerts, which he began to inspire others to face hardships head-on.

“After I went through my woe-is-me phase… I have come out of this with a renewed sense of perspective and gratitude and a desire to reach out to people on an even deeper level through my music and through storytelling, which is what led to keynote concerts,” said Perona.

He began traveling to different places in the Chicagoland area to spread his message of perseverance.

Jennifer Brasfield, executive director of Riverwalk Adult Day Services, explained that she was eager to have Perona perform at the facility after learning about his story.

She said his words left her feeling empowered and motivated.

“They’re all things that you’ve heard before in terms of taking small steps and making sure that you’re moving forward and nothing’s perfect…But just hearing his stories along with it and how he learned those lessons through the different parts of his life, just made you feel refreshed and ready to go out and try things on your own,” said Brasfield.

With his story, Perona said he hopes to continue giving people a renewed sense of hope despite life’s struggles.

“On the other side of most any difficult thing that life throws our way, on the other side, you can find new ways forward,” he said.

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