World MS Day
A day to celebrate global solidarity and hope for the future
World MS Day is officially marked on the last Wednesday of May every year, though events and campaigns take place throughout the month of May.
It brings the global MS community together to share stories, raise awareness and campaign with and for everyone affected by multiple sclerosis.
In 2009, the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) and its members initiated the first World MS Day. Together we have reached hundreds of thousands of people around the world, with a campaign focusing on a different theme each year.
In 2016, the theme for World MS Day is ‘Independence’. It will explore how people with MS can be independent, acknowledging that independence can mean different things to different people.
MSIF provides a toolkit of free resources to help everyone to take part in World MS Day. Anyone can use these tools, or make their own, to create positive change in the lives of more than 2.3 million people around the world.
What is MS?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders and causes of disability in young adults.
There are 2.3 million people with MS worldwide. It is likely that hundreds of thousands more remain undiagnosed and many lives are affected indirectly, through caring for someone with MS.
Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 31, with around twice as many women diagnosed than men.
The cause of MS is not yet known and as yet there is no cure, though there are treatments available that can help some forms of MS and many things you can do to improve the symptoms.
The severity of the course of MS as well as the symptoms can vary widely among individuals.
The severity of the course of MS as well as the symptoms can vary widely among individuals. These can include blurred vision, weak limbs, tingling sensations, unsteadiness and fatigue.
For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission (meaning it gets better for a while but then can attack from time to time), while for others it has a progressive pattern (meaning that it gets steadily worse with time). Some people may feel and seem healthy for many years following diagnosis, while others may be severely debilitated very quickly.
MS makes life unpredictable for everyone.
To find out more about MS, get in touch with an MS organisation near you or visit the MS International Federation website.
Read more at www.worldmsday.org/
In honor of raising MS awareness I am offering Not By Design at 99 cents (US) during the month of May.
“Sometimes we have control over our destiny… and other times life simply happens, and not by design. That’s what Felicity Starr, the protagonist of Carol Balawyder’s fourth book in the Getting to Mr Right series, finds out when diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Not By Design is not your typical “boy meets girl, they overcome various obstacles and live happily ever after” romance.” Ana Linden.
“The book was well researched, and the story took us through Felicity’s depression and hopelessness for future happiness to learning to lean on friends for the love and support they so willingly gave, and finally to acceptance of what her life with MS would be, and making the best of it.” Michelle James.
Carol Balawyder 