Sean “Tag” Cobb posted this status to Facebook on February 5 at 4:19am: “So it is 4:00am and I can't sleep. Yesterday I was diagnosed with MS which has [led] me to think a lot about pretty much everything. Luckily it has lead me to understand how blessed I truly am. I have been blessed with an awesome girlfriend, Amy Lauren, (I guess this makes it Facebook official) who has been by my side the whole time. I couldn't have gotten through yesterday without her love and support. Thank you Amy for everything.
“I have been blessed with an amazing family who would do anything for me. From my nuclear family, which is relatively small, to my extended family, which is not so small, I have received nothing but love and support. Anyone who knows me knows that family is a big part of my life and it is times like these that remind me why family is so important.
 “I have also been blessed with a great group of friends. Over the last 24 hours I have heard from friends far and wide and while I know I don't get to see all of you as often as I would like I love the fact that you are always there for me. Friends are often thought of as the family we choose and over the course of the last 36 years my family has grown by leaps and bounds. 
“To be clear this post is not meant to [draw] sympathy or make people feel bad for me. In the long run I will be fine. 
“This post is simply a way for me to thank all of my friends and family who are such a big part of my life and are there for me every step of the way. I look forward to seeing you all again soon. Whether that be on the ski slope, the rugby pitch or just hanging out I look forward to spending time with the people who really matter.”

For many, this was the first time hearing of the Kutztown Women’s Rugby Team’s head coach’s news that he had been diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 36.

At first, the doctors believed Tag may have had a stroke. He was too young to have a heart attack yet too old to just now be experiencing symptoms of MS. At one point, the doctors even contemplated a complex migraine in Tag’s leg and back. However, after hours of testing, the official verdict had been made.

Upon Tag’s first MRI, the doctors spotted 12 lesions on his brain. These 12 spots will eventually heal and scar. However, this was proof that their theory of MS was now a reality.

“I felt like I was in an episode of House,” Tag said.

When he was 13, Tag broke his left hip by snow tubing off of a 10 foot cliff into a road. As he got older, he began experiencing pain and tingling and sometimes numbness in his leg or back. He mistakenly assumed that these were symptoms caused by his childhood accident. His doctors now believe that these were earlier symptoms of his MS.

Relapsing-remitting MS is the most common form of MS. Parts of the brain and spinal cord become inflamed, causing temporary disabilities such as loss of feeling in parts of the body or loss of movement in the body. The inflamed areas will heal over time as will the patient. However, stress, higher body temperatures, and alcohol (anything that affects the central nervous system) could have a negative effect on the remitting stage of MS.

Despite his recent diagnosis, Tag isn’t wasting any time getting back into his daily routine.

“I want to go back to work; I want to come to practice,” Tag said. “This isn’t going to stop me from living my life.”

After word of Tag’s disease spread, the effect he has had as a family member, friend, and coach began to make itself clear. Numerous past and present players changed their Facebook profile pictures and statuses to let him know that he was in their thoughts and prayers.

Kutztown prop Laurie Segreaves said, “This disease didn't know the kind of man it picked. A man that won't let it ‘win.’ You teach us how to overcome obstacles daily; you coach us in how to come up with a game plan to win - and we've been champions. I have no doubt you will set a winning game plan to attack this in the same way. You've been in our corner; it’s our time to be in yours. Love you, Coach.”

Kutztown flyhalf Mary Cate Matta said, “His is just a great person. I owe him my choice of school because he was a major deciding factor. He really cares about the team. This puts a perspective on how much he’s done for us. It shows how much time and money he has given to us, and now it’s time for us to help him and thank him for his time.”

Before he was a coach, Tag began his rugby career playing for Kutztown. He received the nickname “Tag” because he would push players instead of tackle properly.

“I think I make a much better coach than I ever did a player,” Tag said. “It was my first semester at KU, and I was just this soccer player pushing people around.”

After his senior year, Tag began playing for Philly White Marsh. In 2005, he was an assistant backline coach for Albright College before moving to the Kutztown Men's B-side as a developmental coach in 2007. It wasn’t until 2011 that he took on the title of Kutztown women’s head coach. Under Tag’s leadership, the Kutztown women have made it to the MARC Championship four years in a row and Nationals three years in a row.

“If there’s a tournament available, I’ll play. Playing rugby didn’t onset my MS. But, my first obligation is as a coach,” Tag said. “I just want more people to be aware of this disease.”

As a former player for the Kutztown women’s team, Tag has had an astronomical impact on my life. And for me, the hardest part of saying goodbye to rugby was saying goodbye to him.

For more information on MS and National Rare Disease Day, please follow the links below:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/
http://www.rarediseaseday.org/