Wexford People

MSundersto­od Bus rolls onto the Quay

- By ANNA HAYES

THE CHALLENGE of living with multiple sclerosis was laid bare for the public when the MSundersto­od Bus rolled onto the quay recently.

The bus, which has been kitted out to resemble a café, also has a few other alteration­s which serve to show the public how difficult like with MS can be.

An uneven floor and sugar sachets wrapped in cling film were just two of the touches used to give people a sense of the effect the condition can have.

Over the course of the morning and afternoon, over 200 people stopped by the cafe, availing of free tea, coffee and nibbles, and leaving a donation if they desired.

However, raising awareness was the main point of the day and visitors were encouraged to sign up to the Patients Deserve Better website.

Upon registerin­g, an automated letter is sent to the relevant government department in support of resources for the illness.

There was also plenty of informatio­n on symptoms of MS and around the poor access to medication for it.

The MSundersto­od bus is a new initiative of MS Ireland and Wexford was just one stop on a nationwide tour.

The feedback to the event was very good with the public voicing their discomfort with the uneven floor and MS sufferers saying that they could finally show people what it was like to live with the condition. For some sufferers, it proved to be a very emotional experience as they shared their stories with each other.

 ??  ?? Caitriona Hennessy (Roche), James Browne TD, Una Goan, community worker, and Ruby Murphy of MS Wexford.
Caitriona Hennessy (Roche), James Browne TD, Una Goan, community worker, and Ruby Murphy of MS Wexford.

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