MS Awareness week April 19 - 25 2021
Our focus this MS Awareness week – Me, MySelf and I
MS services have been hit hard over the last 12 months, with many missing appointments and waiting lists growing. This year for MSAW we want to impress the urgent need to get MS services back on track by highlighting the humans 'behind the statistics'.
For MS awareness week this year, we will be launching a series of podcasts called Me, MySelf and I. We will chat to people with MS about their MS story as well as how they have coped with the pandemic for the last 12 months. We want to share as many different stories as possible to ensure people are heard and are not just statistics.
Me, MySelf and I podcast series
Newly diagnosed during lockdown
16 April 2021
This past year has been tough on all of us. But imagine being diagnosed with a lifelong condition such as multiple sclerosis in the middle of it all. In this podcast the MS Trust chat to two young women, to find out how they coped with their MS diagnosis in the middle of a pandemic.
How getting creative helped us through lockdown
19 April 2021
During lockdown a lot of us felt drained from doing nothing at all. In this episode we meet Ant Chapman, a musician and educator, and chat to him about his MS journey and how getting creative and starting to stream music making sessions on Twitch helped him get through lockdown.
Pregnancy and multiple sclerosis during a pandemic
19 April 2021
During 2020 we had to learn to live with the new norm where everything moved to online. But how does that work when you are expecting a baby? In this episode we chat to Jenna and Annie, two ladies with MS who both found out they were expecting during lockdown.
Working life and MS, starting a new job during the pandemic
21 April 2021
MS is often diagnosed in your 20's when a lot of people are starting their working career. During 2020 many people found themselves on furlough, or being made redundant. In this episode we speak to Amy, who started not one but 2 new jobs during 2020.
Working as a keyworker with MS during the pandemic
22 April 2021
During the pandemic many people with MS were told to shield. But what was it like for the keyworkers with MS? In this episode of our podcast we chat to Mel, about her experiences of working as a nurse during lockdown.
Personal stories
'This is my normal now. I rather like it.' Living with PPMS in lockdown
John Peters tells us how his working life changed during lockdown and how he’ll be quite happy not to go back to ‘normal’.
Receiving an MS diagnosis in lockdown ended my RAF dream
Adelle was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis in May 2020, she was aged just 17 at the time of the diagnosis.
How I coped being pregnant and diagnosed with MS during lockdown
We chatted to Jadie Codd, who finally received her diagnosis of MS following years of symptoms, on how she dealt with this, two young children and being pregnant with her third child during a pandemic.
I made my husband a hydration station during lockdown
Jess’s husband Neil lives with Advanced MS. During lockdown she noticed a decline in his arm movement. Here she tells us how she managed to hook up a hydration station for him.
Phoebe talks to us about being diagnosed with MS during lockdown.
When the neurologist said the words ‘multiple sclerosis’, my immediate three questions were ‘Am I going to die?’, ‘Am I going to be disabled?’, ‘Can I have children?’
Twelve year old Lacey hasn't been able to hug her dad for a year
Before lockdown Lacey visited her dad every other weekend, but Covid restrictions have meant she’s not been able to visit her dad in his care home and give him a hug since March 2020.
"Starting a podcast in lockdown helped us take ownership of the situation"
Comedian, Jeanette and Poet, Lytisha, talk about how creating their own podcast, about life with MS, led to lots of laughs, feelings of empowerment and a sense of community during lockdown.
Martin Baum on MS awareness week 2021
As we approach another MS awareness week after what has been a very different last 12 months, Martin Baum reflects on the impact the coronavirus lockdown has had on him.
Related MSAW content
Spread the word
Take a look at our infographics, posters and Zoom backgrounds to help you spread the word for this year's MS awareness week.
Motivate for MS
19-25 April 2021
This MS Awareness Week, join our #motivateforMS campaign and help pass some motivation on to the people you love.