Sylvia Lawry (née: Friedman; born in Brooklyn, New York, June 28, 1915)[1] was a social campaigner on behalf of people with multiple sclerosis.
The family's experience prompted Lawry to place an advert in The New York Times seeking others affected by the disease.
In 1965 Lawry called a meeting in Vienna, Austria, to persuade more countries to join the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation.
The turning point came when Shirley Temple Black stood up: 'She looked around the room, making eye contact with many of the delegates.
Eventually she and Tobey persuaded them to adopt legislation establishing what is now the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).