World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day is held on 30 May 2024. The theme for this year and next year focuses on individuals getting a diagnosis. The 2024 – 2025 ‘My MS Diagnosis’ campaign will advocate for early and accurate diagnosis for everyone living with multiple sclerosis.
The theme and campaign will highlight global barriers to diagnosing MS, raising awareness by sharing real stories and data. The global MS community will campaign for better MS training for healthcare professionals, new research, and clinical advancements in MS diagnosis. Together we will work to build informed, caring communities and systems that support people diagnosed with MS.
MS Australia is contributing to this significant international exploration of diagnosis, its impacts, current process, and opportunities to achieve earlier MS diagnoses.
To recognise World MS Day, we had the pleasure of speaking with one of our lovely participants, Alissa, who shed some light on her experience with MS, her goals and experience at Therapy Care.
Alissa, a 44-year-old mother of two teenagers, enjoys vegetable gardening, creativity, and coaching race walking to her squad and the local little athletics club.
Alissa says, “living with MS is ever challenging. Planning is hard as you never know how you are going to wake up feeling. I’ve had to learn to listen to my body and rest when needed, even though I’d rather be busy. It’s shown me how determined and resilient I can be. I had to learn to walk again, now I can run and I’m an athletics coach to national level athletes!”
Alissa’s current goals focus on building physical strength to prevent injury and decline, while remaining engaged in her community. Alissa says Therapy Care’s services help her to save energy and be able to use it for things that are important to her like her athletics coaching, with additional support in accessing the community.
Alissa says she loves Therapy Care because, “they have so many lovely staff! Therapy Care is so supportive and willing to help me in any way they can, they are even happy to go the extra mile to help support me when something big or unexpected happens.”
When asked what she wishes people knew about living with MS, Alissa said she wishes people knew how hard people with MS fight every day just to have some semblance of a normal life and how much energy that requires! She wishes they understood that MS is an invisible and snowflake disease.
Alissa says, “we may look fine, but what’s not visible is the pain, the loss of self, loss of function, mental struggles etc.”
“Everyone with MS has different symptoms and different struggles, hence snowflakes. None of us are alike.”
We see you Alissa and are in awe of how rich you make each day!
To learn more about our range of allied health services and daily living supports at Therapy Care, get in contact with our team:
1800 861 898
info@therapycare.com.au
