World MS Day 2023 Awareness Campaign
- MS is a complex neurological disorder
- It is a condition which affects the central nervous system which is made up of the brain and spinal cord
- It can affect people of any age though it is most frequently diagnosed between the ages of 20 - 40 years
- Women are diagnosed with MS more frequently than men at a ratio of approximately 3:1
- MS impacts each person living with it differently due to variations in symptom set and severity
- While there are a number of disease-modifying therapies and symptomatic treatments available, there is currently no cure for MS
- MS is more common in countries that are further from the equator
- MS can impact people from many different ethnic backgrounds
- The cause for multiple sclerosis is still unknown. It is thought that a combination of genetic, immunologic and environmental factors may be involved
- Someone, somewhere in the world is diagnosed with MS every 5 minutes
- There are over 9,000 people living with MS in Ireland and 2.9 million globally
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex neurological condition which affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). In order for our bodies to carry out various motor, sensory and cognitive functions, our brains send messages through a network of nerves. The nerves that make up that network in our brains are coated in a protective layer called myelin. In MS, the immune system attacks this protective coating. This is called demyelination. This can result in the messages that pass though this network being delayed or completely stopped, sometimes resulting in the onset of MS symptoms.
What causes MS?
There is no known cause of MS but it is generally held that it is a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
What are the symptoms of MS?
A person may experience one or more of the Visual disturbances including blurring of vision/double vision, Fatigue which is unpredicted or out of proportion to what you have done, lack of co-ordination, balance and mobility, Altered feelings in arms or legs such as tingling/pins and needles, numbness and pain, Muscle spasms and stiffness, Speech problems such as slurring words, Cognitive difficulties such as loss of concentration or short-term memory, bladder and bowel dysfunction. The symptoms experienced as well as the duration and severity of those symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Some peoples’ symptoms may go away completely while others they may recur.
MS Ireland is the only national organisation providing information, support, to people with MS, their families and health professionals. We deliver services and facilities at a local and national level. Below are the types of service people are supporting through our campaigns. All these services are available to people in every county in Ireland so local people with MS are fully supported by MS Ireland.
Community Worker Service
Individual and family support is provided through our Regional Community Worker Service. This service includes: Individual referrals to HSE Primary Care services (e.g. Physiotherapy) Support to access professional counselling services Support to access rights and entitlements Living with MS programmes and workshops Individual advocacy work to ensure the voices of people with MS are heard Connection with the local voluntary Branch Network.
Respite
The MS Care Centre is the only dedicated respite centre for people with Multiple Sclerosis in Ireland and is a place for residents to learn more about their MS and find ways to self-manage their condition. It offers short-term respite care to people with MS and other neurological conditions, therapeutic services, neurological assessments and many social activities in a homely environment in the suburbs of Dublin.
Information and Advocacy Services
MS Ireland's aim is to enable and empower people living with MS to live the lives of their choice to their fullest potential. Our information and advocacy services play a vital role in helping to achieve this aim. We provide up-to-date, relevant and accurate information through a range of resources including our publications, website, social media platforms and mailings.
We advocate for the needs of the MS community nationally and internationally. We believe it is crucial that a collective voice for people affected by MS is heard in response to national policy decisions.
Information Line
The MS Information Line phone & email service provides confidential information and support to anyone affected by MS. We provide trusted, confidential access to one individual information request regarding any aspect of living with MS. The Information platforms are open to information requests from anyone with an MS query including people with MS, their families, friends and colleagues and also to professionals involved in providing care or services to people with MS. 0818 233 233 Open: Monday - Friday9:30 -17:00 (Excluding public holidays)
Website
Our website hosts information on a range of MS related topics including information about MS; life with MS, symptom management; news; research opportunities and ways to get involved with MS Ireland's various projects and events. For more visit www.ms-society.ie
Physiotherapy and Exercise Programmes
MS Ireland is the largest provider of physiotherapist led exercise and health promoting physical activity programmes. Additionally, we provide yoga and fitness instructor led programmes for people living with MS. The primary aim of our programmes is to promote health and enable people with MS to live healthily in their communities. These programmes are tailored to suit varying ability levels. Classes may be online or in-person.
World MS Day is observed globally on the 30th May every year. The aim of the day is to raise awareness of Multiple Sclerosis and bring together those who are living with the condition to share their stories. MS is the most common complex neurological condition affecting young adults in Ireland. It is sometimes characterised by periods of relapse while for others it has a progressive pattern (meaning that it gets steadily worse with time). MS Ireland is the only national organisation providing information, vital services, and support to the MS community. We also provide the only national respite centre for people with MS in Ireland. More than two-thirds of the 9,000 people living with MS in Ireland access these resources. Over 9,000 people are living with MS in Ireland today and we as an organisation wish to honour their journey and raise awareness of the condition as well as the impact on their friends, carers and loved ones. This year for World MS Day we are challenging the ‘face of MS’ as a recent survey has shown that 46% of the Irish public had little to no knowledge of MS. MS can impact people in different ways, and even though people living with MS are all diagnosed with the same condition, how they are impacted and live with the condition can vary greatly.
Photographic campaign
We have partnered with Novartis for a photographic campaign and have identified 8 individuals from across Ireland to be part of it. We know that MS impacts those living with it in different ways and there are over 9,000 people living in Ireland living different lives. There are often misconceptions about MS and what MS looks like. Our aim is to show that there is no way to look like you have MS. The photos we are using are of a range of people with different experiences. Their photos will be accompanied by their story for sharing on the day to kick start an online campaign which we hope members of the MS community will support.
Members of the general public will be asked to take part in a short poll to help us measure some awareness levels. After taking part they will be provided with information about MS, MS Ireland and the project.
Online campaign
People with a connection to the MS community, including family members; friends; loved-ones; carers; healthcare professionals; support workers; MS Ireland staff, fundraisers and others will be encouraged to share a photo online and share their MS story or connection to MS using the hashtag #IaMSomeone
We are treating 'I am someone' as an open-ended prefix which can be followed by any number of endings including:
- I am someone living with MS
- I am someone who loves someone living with MS
- I am someone who supports people living with MS
- I am someone who fundraises for supports for people with MS
- I am someone who works with people living with MS
- I am someone who
Please post at either of two peak times 1:30pm and 5pm – if these times are not suitable for you, feel free to join in the campaign at a time that does.