My Story

Over 17 years ago, it was a difficult time for our family as my brother woke up not able to move his arm shortly after Christmas. We feared it might be a stroke, or worse, a brain tumour, but hadn't really even considered anything like MS.

Then, when my brother was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he knew little about the condition other than what he had seen in mainstream media at the time, which was fairly negative for the most part.

It's a night I will never forget, as amongst all the bad news, my sister-in-law went into labour, and my nephew was born.

In a way, at least this gave my brother some distraction from his diagnosis in the short term. And with all the worry, there was joy at my nephew coming into the world.

Even though I had lived with autoimmune conditions for 15 years at that point, when my brother was diagnosed with MS and saw and felt the effect on him and our family, I found my calling in life and knew I wanted to help others in a similar position, which is why I became I a nutritionist specialising in autoimmune disease. 

I decided I wanted to contribute to finding a cure for MS, and for many years, I have researched the potential underlying root causes of MS and discovered how natural therapies can help.

Now, I would like to take it a step further and help the MS Society fund more research into this debilitating condition. There has been progress, but we need more, which is why I am running the Great North Run—a distance I have never run. For someone who has also lived with autoimmune disease and chronic fatigue syndrome, I never thought I would get to the point of even contemplating running 13 miles.  

17 years on, my brother has stayed strong but has been through several relapses, even with medications and struggles with symptoms on a daily basis.

MS can be an invisible illness for some people, and even though people look healthy on the outside, many symptoms of MS, like fatigue, numbness, vision issues, muscle spasms and dizziness can completely decrease their quality of life. I know that with the right research, we can prevent the progress of the disease in those who have it, and those who are genetically susceptible can take a proactive approach so they don't develop MS.

I would be extremely grateful for your donation to support my brother and those with MS. I have seen how difficult it can be living with this condition, and I know how much the MS Society values our support. 

Thank you very much :-)