This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
FaceBook is rather like marmite – people either love it or hate it. I’m not a particular fan myself but it does prove very useful on occasion. For example when I read a friend’s post about her sister in law who is playing a key role in the campaign to eliminate Multiple Sclerosis.
Jacqueline Krarup, 57, has a form of MS which means she cannot move more than 10 yards unaided.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition – that means it affects your nerves. You get it when your immune system isn’t working properly. Your immune system normally protects you by fighting off infection, but in MS it attacks your nerves by mistake. Your nerves control lots of different parts of your body. That’s why you can get MS symptoms in many parts of your body. It’s also why everyone’s MS is different.
Jacqueline explains “The thing with MS is that it gnaws at you. I can’t walk more than 10 yards unaided. But I’m still the person I was before my diagnosis, I just have to think a little differently about what I can and can’t do. I can no longer be impulsive.”
Jacqueline agreed to appear in the MS Society’s latest campaign video because she was keen to highlight how MS can be unpredictable and different for everyone. You can read more about her in this ITV News Report.
There is research in progress that has led scientists to believe treatments that stop disability progression (and potentially prevent the need for a wheelchair in the future) are within grasp.
The campaign video features the daily challenges of three people with MS, but the trio are all singing Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop, which is the appeal’s anthem. You can watch it below:
The charity are trying to raise £100m over a decade, with the aim of finding a treatment for everyone living with the condition. If you would like to know more or donate to this very worthy cause, click here.