I found the following USA Today news story on Facebook this morning. I didn’t realize the famed author of the Harry Potter series had a mother who was affected by multiple sclerosis. Apparently J.K. Rowling’s own mother died from complications related to MS when Rowling was young, and it has shaped the writer’s own understanding of illness, loss, and helping others. Having been catapulted to fame and fortune with her novels, Rowling has recently donated a large sum, $15.4 million, to the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) to create a research center for multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative illnesses.