Living with MS has made me appreciate life more, as you never know what is around the corner.

During Disability Pride Month, we have asked Team BSMHFT colleagues to share their stories to help us raise awareness of all types of disabilities and health conditions.

We want to celebrate the diversity and dignity of people living with disabilities. We also want to emphasise that with the right support and understanding, people with disabilities and long-term health conditions live happy, healthy lives with good mental health and wellbeing.

“Raising awareness of disabilities has always been important to me as my dad, who has a rare condition called Arthrogryposis has been a wheelchair user his whole life and has inspired my outlook on life. He has never let his disability define him and has gone on to achieve many things – like being the European 9-Ball Champion and British 9-ball Champion for the British Wheelchair Pool Player Association (BWPPA).

In March 2019 I experienced numbness to the left side of my face for several months. I was later diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) at the age of 22. Then in May 2020, I experienced another relapse that left me without sight in my left eye for a long period of time. I am very fortunate that my vision is nearly back to normal, and I am very grateful for the support of my family and friends during this time.

MS is a condition that causes damage to the brain and central nervous system and affects approximately 130,000 people in the UK.

I am currently receiving Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) infusions every six months. In RRMS, it reduces the number of relapses by about two thirds (70%). Ocrevus suppresses the immune system, which reduces my ability to fight infections. But overall, this treatment has been very successful for me and since starting it I have had no relapses!

Both relapses happened when I was at university, although this was a challenging time for me, I still managed to graduate with a First!

For my dissertation I focused on the inaccessibility of airports and planes for wheelchair users, a challenge I have experienced first-hand with my dad. This issue has recently been raised by British presenter, Sophie Morgan in her documentary Fight to Fly. This documentary shows the issues many wheelchair users experience. 

Living with MS has made me appreciate life more, as you never know what is around the corner.

On World MS Day, 30 May 2021, I raised over £1,000 for the MS Trust by completing a 10,000 ft skydive! Although there is no cure for MS, ongoing research offers hope that by 2025, treatment will be available to slow relapses or stop the progression of disability. In the meantime, the MS Trust helps fund MS nurses and provides essential information and support.”