FIVE KEY FACTS ABOUT MS
- MS is the fastest growing neurological disease amongst young people
- There is no known cause or cure
- The average age of diagnosis is 30
- Three times as many women than men are affected
- MS is highly unpredictable. Symptoms vary greatly from person to person and no one can predict the future course for any individual
WHAT IS MS?
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that randomly attacks the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). People with MS may experience varying degrees of blurred vision, speech difficulties, limb weakness, co-ordination loss, shaking in the hands, numbness, loss of balance, extreme tiredness and memory lapses. MS is a devastating condition because people live with its unpredictable physical and emotional effects for the rest of their lives.
People are typically diagnosed in their twenties and thirties, with an average age of diagnosis at 30. Interestingly, three times more women are affected by MS than men and it is more common in cooler climates.
The overall cause of MS is still unknown. The healthy body’s immune system normally defends the body from attack by viruses or bacteria. But in the case of MS, the body’s immune system attacks its own myelin, causing disruption to nerve transmission. Scientists do not yet know what triggers the immune system to do this. They agree several facts are involved including genetics, gender and environmental triggers.
MS is a lifelong disease for which a cure is yet to be found. However, doctors and scientists are making discoveries in treating and understanding MS everyday and research to find a cure is very encouraging.
Some people have symptoms that are very difficult for GPs to interpret, and these people must “wait and see”. While no single laboratory test is yet available to prove or rule out MS, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has greatly aided in definitive diagnosis.
MS Australia – ACT/NSW/VIC provides programs and choices to people with MS including a range of residential facilities, social support programs, accommodation support services, attendant care in private homes, involvement with regional centres and country link programs. These services are vital to maintain the independence and dignity of people with MS.
Approximately 23,000 people in Australia currently have MS, however this figure is increasing as diagnosis methods become more advanced. The incidence of MS in Australia is growing by 10% each year and it means that we have to grow our support by at least 10% every year just to keep up!
MS Australia partners with the community in seeking support to provide services to people with MS. This would not be possible without the generous financial support of people who donate to the organisation, those who actively fundraise in the community, or the 2000 people who volunteer their services in some way.
For More Information on Multiple Sclerosis and MS Australiawww.msaustralia.org.au/aboutms.asp
HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPS
Every dollar you fundraise will be used by MS-ACT/NSW/VIC to fund services and support for people living with multiple sclerosis as the search for a cure continues.
Here are some examples of how your fundraising can make a difference in the lives of people with MS.
Help a person with MS identify thinking and memory changes and come up with a plan to address them.
$3,000 - Achieve a dream
Allow a person with MS to fulfil a personal goal with a Go for Gold scholarship.
$5,000 - Family camps
Give a group of people with MS and their families the chance to get away and spend time together while learning about MS.
$12,000 - Respite
Give a person with MS and their carer a break for a month.
Every dollar you fundraise will be used by MS-ACT/NSW/VIC to fund services and support for people living with multiple sclerosis as the search for a cure continues.
Here are some examples of how your fundraising can make a difference in the lives of people with MS.
$20 – Have their call heard
Pay for an MS expert to answer a phone call and provide guidance
Pay for an MS expert to answer a phone call and provide guidance
$50 – Get to a support group
Help a person with MS get to a support group for a chance to talk with people who understand them.
Help a person with MS get to a support group for a chance to talk with people who understand them.
$75 - Understanding MS session
Teach a newly diagnosed person with MS about their diagnosis and how to get much needed support.
Teach a newly diagnosed person with MS about their diagnosis and how to get much needed support.
$100 - Train nursing home staff
Provide an education program to nursing home staff who are caring for a person with MS.
Provide an education program to nursing home staff who are caring for a person with MS.
$300 - Physiotherapy
Provide a physio assessment for a person with MS and a program of exercises for home.
Provide a physio assessment for a person with MS and a program of exercises for home.
$500 - Gym membership
Improve the health and wellbeing of a person with MS with a gym membership for a year.
Improve the health and wellbeing of a person with MS with a gym membership for a year.
$2000 - Cool down
Provide an air conditioner for a person with MS who is dealing with heat intolerance
$2,500 - Neuropsychology assessment Provide an air conditioner for a person with MS who is dealing with heat intolerance
Help a person with MS identify thinking and memory changes and come up with a plan to address them.
$3,000 - Achieve a dream
Allow a person with MS to fulfil a personal goal with a Go for Gold scholarship.
$5,000 - Family camps
Give a group of people with MS and their families the chance to get away and spend time together while learning about MS.
$12,000 - Respite
Give a person with MS and their carer a break for a month.
$150,000 - A permanent home
Provide a person with MS who has high needs a permanent home for a year.
Provide a person with MS who has high needs a permanent home for a year.
