[dropcap]K[/dropcap]irk Smith knows the local music scene – the musicians, the venues, the good times. He and wife Laurie can often be found enjoying the sounds at Hudson’s on Mercer and Mercer Street Dancehall. But the sounds of the music are fading for Kirk as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) continues to claim more and more of his abilities and enjoyment in life.

After trying one treatment after another over decades to slow his hearing loss, balance problems, and relieve his intense nerve ...