MS Information

Around 100,000 people in the UK have MS.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged. The disease usually occurs in young adults, and it is more common in females.
MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other. Nerve cells communicate by sending electrical signals called action potentials down long fibers called axons, which are wrapped in an insulating substance called myelin. In MS, the body's own immune system attacks and damages the myelin. When myelin is lost, the axons can no longer effectively conduct signals. The name multiple sclerosis refers to scars in the white matter of the brain and spinal cord, which is mainly composed of myelin. Although much is known about the mechanisms involved in the disease process, the cause remains unknown.


It can cause mental and physical disability.
Almost any neurological symptom can appear with the disease, and often progresses to physical and cognitive disability. MS takes several forms, with new symptoms occurring either in discrete attacks (relapsing forms) or slowly accumulating over time (progressive forms). Between attacks, symptoms may go away completely, but permanent neurological problems often occur, especially as the disease advances.


It's not going away just yet.
There is no known cure for MS. Treatments attempt to return function after an attack, prevent new attacks, and prevent disability. MS medications can have adverse effects or be poorly tolerated, and many patients pursue alternative treatments, despite the lack of supporting scientific study. The prognosis is difficult to predict. It depends on the subtype of the disease, the individual patient's disease characteristics, the initial symptoms and the degree of disability the person experiences as time advances. Life expectancy of patients is nearly the same as that of the unaffected population.


The MS Society are doing all they can.
(Taken from the MS Society website)
The MS Society is the UK's largest charity for people affected by multiple sclerosis. The Society funds MS research, runs respite care centres, provides grants, education and training on MS. It produces numerous publications on MS and runs a freephone specialist Helpline. We are committed to bringing high standards of quality health and social care within reach of everyone affected by MS and to encourage and support medical and applied research into its cause and control. We have a vision and mission for action across the UK.
With a network of branches & regions across the UK, the Society has a National Centre in London and national offices in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales/Cymru.


But this costs money.
The MS Society relies on voluntary income to provide vital services to those affected by multiple sclerosis. Both nationally and locally, through our branch network, the MS Society is constantly striving to improve the lives of people with MS and their friends and family. However, we cannot do this without your help.


If you sponsor me, you can make a difference.
£22 could fund 100 copies of the Sociey's 'What is MS?' booklet
£38 runs the MS Society helpline for half an hour
£113 funds an MS Specialist Nurse for one day
£500 provides a local information event
£1,000 buys one week's respite care providing a vital break for carers


The more I raise, the better things get.
£1,500 buys a mobility scooter, allowing people the freedom and independence to get out and not be reliant on carers.
£5,000 buys a level-access shower and wetroom to help someone bathe independently and reduce the need for carers to assist them in the bathroom


I'm doing the hard part. I'm just asking for a few minutes of your time, and whatever you can give. I really appreciate any way that you can help me raise money for the MS Society.
Help me out, stick with me, and we'll all kick the crap out of MS together.