News

MS Ireland launches dedicated resource ‘Understanding MS@Work’ for people living with MS and their employers to become more informed on the daily impact of MS. 9 out of 10 people with MS say the pandemic has helped steer conversations with their employers about the benefits of working from home long-term.

• New research among MS Ireland members reveals impact of COVID-19 on employment, and how working life with MS can be better understood by employers
• 80% of people with MS say the way they work has changed as a result of the pandemic
• Although 85% say their employer knows they are living with MS, more than one-fifth (21%) of respondents cited ‘lack of understanding / empathy’ as the issue that most impacts their working life

The VHI Women's Mini Marathon is taking place on Sunday September 19th. Like last year, this year's event will be a virtual event where you can complete 10km anywhere you like. The Mini Marathon is one of the most popular and important fundraisers for MS Ireland and over the year's 100's of inspirational ladies have clocked up 1000's of kilometers raising vital funds for the 9,000 people in Ireland living with MS. You can register your interest in taking part today.

One such person who has taken part in the Mini Marathon, a whopping 13 times is Deirdre Flynn. Deirdre was diagnosed with MS in 2019 and below she tells us about her diagnosis experience and why she is taking part in this year's Mini Marathon.

To say my children are my life is an understatement; they mean the world to me and when I first received my MS diagnosis my thoughts turned to them immediately. They were 6 and 4 and a half at the time and they had boundless energy.  I worried that I wasn’t going to be able to keep up with them and that maybe I wouldn’t be able to look after them the way I wanted to. My mind immediately began to come up with worst case scenarios and I remember crying myself to sleep that night thinking about all they were going to miss out on because of me. My guilt was immense. In my shock and upset at the diagnosis I had catastrophised everything and it took me some time to realise that our world had not ended, it had simply changed.

‘The Societal Cost of Multiple Sclerosis in Ireland’ was initially conducted in 2015. As much has changed in recent years, we are looking to gain an insight into the current ‘Societal Cost of MS in Ireland’ to identify and compare any differences in your lives. Please complete the survey at the following link it should take 20 minutes.

It’s not uncommon to think of Multiple Sclerosis as only a physical condition. That’s all one can see (unless looking at an MRI)- symptoms from the damage it causes to the nerves resulting in problems walking, balance, muscle weakness or vision loss.

This week we thought we’d take a different look at Life with MS. The MS and Me bloggers are in touch with each other a lot. We share updates on how our MS is faring and ask questions about treatments and symptoms. It is fair to say however, that a significant percentage of our WhatsApp messages involve pictures and stories about the furrier members of our families.

Anyone who has a pet will understand the joy they bring, but a quick poll of our bloggers suggests that having a dog or cat is beneficial to our well-being and how we live well with MS. Our pets are our companions, confidantes and always agree with us! This week Ciara, Rosie and Niamh share their pet stories.

I have been diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis for 10 years now. That’s one MRI per year- plus the clinical trial related ones. Let’s say that I have been in a giant, buzzing magnet over 20 times.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is conducting research with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the accessibility requirements and experience of users of small public service vehicle (SPSV), for example taxis and hackneys.

Dear Member,

Please see below the Notice of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland’s Annual General Meeting ('AGM').   All documentation including the Notice and the AGM Information Pack is available on our website ms-society.ie. The following link will bring you to the AGM Notice and Information Pack (which includes the financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2020 and the Candidates’ Profiles) AGM and Information Pack

 

Votes for the AGM may be registered virtually at the AGM or by proxy. Here is the link to the Proxy Form.

The CE Scheme in the Care Centre was run by the Multiple Sclerosis CEP Co. Ltd.  The CE Scheme is now being run by MS Ireland.