After almost a year of back and forth and several MRIs with neurologists after losing my eyesight whilst working abroad, I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at the beginning of 2023. MS is a condition that affects your brain and spinal cord. In MS, the coating that protects your nerves is damaged. This causes a range of symptoms like blurred vision and problems with how we move think and feel. Before I was diagnosed, little to my knowledge I had been experiencing these exact symptoms such as fatigue, optic neuritis and Lhermitte’s sign, for many years.

Since my diagnosis I have started a DMT called Ovrelizumab, that is carried out through an infusion. This is a disease modifying drug for active relapsing MS, which kills the B cells in your body. These cells are found in your immune system and are responsible for attacking and killing viruses and bacteria. With MS these cells mistakenly attack the nerves in your brain and spinal cord. Ocrelizumab stops these cells getting to your brain and spinal cord, helping stop inflammation and damage to your nerves.

The MS society has been pivotal in my diagnosis, treatment and management of MS, offering a support network and fundraising to widen access to treatments. The society is constantly striving to make sure no one, of any age, has to face alone. Every year they reach thousands of people with help and support through their MS Helpline and local groups. They campaign on the issues that matter most to the MS community. And they invest in ground-breaking research to stop MS in its tracks.

To give a bit back to a charity which has helped me through a very tough period of life adjustment and to support the work of the charity, I will be running the London parks Marathon on October 13th. This will be my first half marathon and any donations would be greatly appreciated. It will undoubtedly be a very tough challenge but one I would like to squeeze in before my knee surgery in October.