Cabu Design MS Fundraising Earrings

LET'S KISS GOODBYE TO MS

Here's a cause that is close to a lot of people's hearts, or perhaps in this case brain and spinal cord would be more accurate!

My friend's sister was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in October 2021, aged 32. Jackie's journey to diagnosis was fairly quick in the scheme of things, though upon reflection we realised it was at least a few years in the making. Jackie woke one morning with symptoms similar to vertigo. She was dizzy, nauseated and unable to walk without a mobility device. After experiencing this for three weeks she was referred to have an MRI, and from there quickly admitted to hospital. From here symptoms she had been experiencing and had gone undiagnosed for years were able to be linked to MS, such as pins and needles in her hands and feet. 

Things have improved significantly for Jackie since she started receiving regular treatment, though there is still plenty to be done for herself and others suffering around the world. 

In MS, the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the fatty material – called myelin – around the nerves. This results in a range of symptoms that can include loss of motor functions (eg walking, vision changes, pain), though no two people experience MS in the same way.

MS is the most commonly acquired chronic neurological disease affecting young adults, often diagnosed between the ages of 20 to 40 and, in Australia, affects three times more women than men. There are more than 33 300 Australians living with MS. As yet, there is no cure.

MS Australia is Australia’s national multiple sclerosis (MS) not-for-profit organisation that empowers researchers to identify ways to treat, prevent and cure MS, seeks sustained and systemic policy change via advocacy, and acts as the champion for Australia’s community of people affected by MS. The "Kiss Goodbye to MS" Fundraiser raises money to support life-changing research into the prevention, treatment and finding a cure for multiple sclerosis.