In 1998, Dina Lerman received a life-changing diagnosis: multiple sclerosis. Just weeks later, she laced up her sneakers for the NYC MS Walk alongside her husband, Gerd. She remembers feeling shell-shocked; overwhelmed by new information and the uncertainty ahead. But something unexpected happened at the starting line: she looked around and saw hundreds of people who also felt scared, and showed up anyway.

"The World Trade Center was still standing," she recalls. "And all of these people were gathered to raise awareness for something important.”

The following year, Dina and Gerd came back — this time with a team of family and friends. They called it Bugged Out, because that's exactly how a new MS diagnosis made Dina feel! They sported matching T-shirts with a hand-drawn ant, and the name stuck.

Fast forward to 2026: Bugged Out is now a wildly popular children’s apparel brand with a history of impressive partnerships, several lines of quirky designs, and an annual portion of proceeds donated to support MS research at Tisch MS Research Center or New York. “It took a long time and a lot of work,” says Dina. “But every minute was worth it.”

A Creative Life, Long in the Making

Dina came to New York City to study interior architecture at Pratt Institute, then fell in love with the city and never left. She approached projects with an artistic eye, inspired by the natural surroundings of her childhood in the Adirondack region. She was drawn to the precision of a spider's web, the quiet architecture of beehives, and the intricacy of cocoons — so designing Team Bugged Out’s shirts herself was a no-brainer. What she didn’t anticipate was the enthusiastic response from other MS Walk participants. Year after year, people would ask where they could get their own, until eventually she and Gerd decided to produce items for sale. 

Building a Business with MS

Growing Bugged Out wasn't simple. For years, Dina and Gerd kept their day jobs while spending weekend at every art and crafts market they could find. As their products grew more popular, they secured a partnership with the New York Botanical Garden on an exclusive fruit and vegetables collection, popped up in several museum shops, and built a loyal online following. 

Their designs expanded with their footprint: the BYOB (Bring Your Own Bug) tote bags are a bestseller, and the Don't Bug Meline is a love letter to New York City in all its unfiltered glory — pigeons, rats, and a cockroach declaring "i ♥ new york."

Balancing entrepreneurship with a chronic illness takes patience. "I have bad days," Dina says simply. But she's consistent with her care, her treatment is stable, and going full-time on the business with Gerd has brought more balance than she expected. As Dina cheerfully notes: she's very good at supervising!

Making Impact with Tisch MSRCNY

Dina knew that, in keeping with the brand’s origin story, giving back to MS research would always be a core tenant of the business. There are many organizations that do good in the MS community — but when she started paying attention to where MS research was actually happening, one name kept coming up, and it was right in her backyard: Tisch MS Research Center of New York. 

Every year, Bugged Out donates a portion of their proceeds to Tisch MSRCNY. The Center’s proximity and focus resonated immediately, but what has secured her relationship as an annual donor was something harder to quantify.

"It feels personal and transparent," she says. "There's a 1:1 quality to supporting Tisch MS that I don't find everywhere. The single-minded focus on MS research is powerful."

Dina and Gerd have turned one “bugged out” moment into three decades of purpose and impact. Their story inspires us to keep moving forward, and we hope it inspires you, too. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bugged Out products can be found at the Bryant Park and Columbus Circle holiday markets, and at their online shop. 

You can explore ways to support research that matters to families like Dina’s on our website, or make a tax-deductible donation here.