Finding the Positives: Sam’s MS Story
Diagnosed at 27 with a newborn baby, Sam shares how she turned a life-changing diagnosis into a reason to focus on what matters most. The First Signs I was 27 years old and seven months pregnant with our second child, when I first noticed something wasn’t right. I woke up one day and had lost […]
Living with MS on the West Coast: Vanessa’s Story
I was 22 years old when my body first sent me a signal that something wasn’t right. I was experiencing numbness and tingling, but it was easy to dismiss, easy to explain away. There was no dramatic moment, no obvious cause for alarm. For 13 years, life continued. Then, on the 11th of October, just […]
From Diagnosis to Distance: My MS Journey and the Power of Setting Goals
In early 2020, I started noticing strange things happening to my body. I couldn’t walk in a straight line, and then my tongue went numb. Concerned, I visited my doctor, who advised me to monitor my symptoms and check in. Just four days later, the left side of my face went numb. Alarmed and confused, […]
From Dizzying Speeds to Vertigo – Jackson’s Journey to Diagnosis
Hi my name is Jackson Ruakere, I’m 30 years old, a plumber and gasfitter by trade and like to consider myself very fit and active. I have a passion for watersports and the outdoors, especially freestyle jet-skiing. Throughout 2023 I had been experiencing pins and needles and numbness in my hands and legs. I went […]
I May Have MS, But I am Lucky – Chris Lord’s Story
Today is World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day. Seeing the reminder in my calendar pop up prompted a moment of reflection. It made me think about not just my experience (circa 2 years), but the experiences of over 4000 Kiwis who are faced with this challenge, in some cases, for many years. On Friday, 11th August […]
Regular Kiwi Kid to Facing the Unknown: Angus’s Journey to Diagnosis
I’m Angus, 35 years old, New Zealand European. I’m married to an incredible woman, and we have two beautiful kids. I grew up in Whangārei and moved to Wellington when I was eight. I’ve got one sister, and no history of illness in the family, in fact most of my relatives live well into their […]
My MS, My Story – Claire Brown
Fifty-six is reasonably old to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis given that the average age of onset is around thirty-four years and I will always be grateful that, even in the unlikely event that I live to be 100, I will have spent most of my life blissfully free of this debilitating disease. Like most […]
Andrew – Passionate poet and crafter
Andrew Hodson was diagnosed with Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS) in 2008. “I probably had it for 20 years before that. A mixture of symptoms appeared then went away, including numb legs plus pins and needles. The initial diagnosis was very confronting, and I shed many tears.” Shocked by what he was hearing, Andrew can’t recall […]
MS, Mental Health, The NZ Army and Me, Jeremy Seed
Anyone diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis is in for a rough ride, says Captain Jeremy Seed, RNZAEC. He lives with this debilitating disease every day, and this is his story. I am a Reservist Officer. In October 2009 I undertook a week long, short notice deployment as part of the humanitarian and disaster relief response mission […]