To mark World MS Day this May, we’re sharing a thought-provoking conversation with MS Otago’s Community Advisor Katie Burns and Registered Social Worker Tillie Lassman that explores wider impacts of an MS diagnosis.
While much of the focus is rightly placed on the person diagnosed, this episode looks more broadly at the impact on children, whānau, and the communities that surround them. Acknowledging and better understanding these impacts can enhance the experience for all involved and create a more supportive and resilient society around the diagnosis and management of chronic diseases.
Through a warm and reflective discussion, Tillie shares emerging insights from her research, highlighting how uncertainty, shifting roles, and everyday pressures can shape children’s experiences of MS as well as family life, and why it matters that we recognise MS as a shared experience, not just an individual one.
Listen to the podcast on YouTube here.
Last Updated May 25, 2026