MS setback hasn’t stopped Heat star
A SHOCK multiple sclerosis diagnosis threatened to send Jemma Barsby’s budding cricket career into a spin when she was just 19 years old.
However, with a mountain of determination and an ounce of luck, Barsby refused to let her condition stop her from chasing her sporting dreams.
The 23-year-old all-rounder has been a member of the Brisbane Heat since the Women’s Big Bash League’s inaugural season (WBBL01) in 2015-16.
Barsby also plays for the Queensland Fire in the Women’s National Cricket League, in which she made her debut in 2010 at age 15, and has future goals of representing her country.
She said she remembers the Thursday afternoon doctor’s appointment, where she first heard the “scary” news, like it was yesterday.
“It was a complete shock,” she said.
“I went in there thinking it was just a minor shoulder injury.
“To come out from the docused tor asking about my career aspirations and things like that, that’s when it hit me as something pretty serious.”
Barsby, like many Australians and people around the world, didn’t really know what MS was before she was diagnosed with the neurological disorder in 2015.
With her mind racing, she feared the worst, wondering if she would be in a wheelchair soon and if she would ever play the game of cricket again.
“I was in limbo for a few days until I saw the neurologist.
“I found out that I have a milder form and I just have to be smart with the way I go about things. It was pretty scary but I’m glad it’s worked out the way it has.”
With heat and temperature being one of the main triggers for her symptoms, Barsby has to be extra vigilant with how she manages her workload, as well as take precautions on and off the field to ensure her body is functioning right.
She described it as “your nervous system attacking your body”.
“Especially in summer, your body can shut down and play tricks on you – you can lose your balance, some people have loss of vision, slur your words.”
To keep her core temperature down and her symptoms at bay during games, Barsby will often use an ice vest that she was gifted by Queensland Cricket.
“Just recently in Mackay I it and no doubt I’ll be using it this weekend up in Cairns,” she said.
“Playing cricket in the summertime is probably not ideal, but I’ve been able to manage my way through it at this stage and I’m hoping to continue to do that.
“It’s about being smart and listening to my body – on really hot days I will chew on ice and have really ice-cold drinks to keep me cool.”
Last year, Barsby was named as an ambassador for MS Queensland and also the Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign.
She said she was excited to jump on board.
“Hopefully I can use my profile to get the word out there about MS and get more Australians on board with it.
“The severity and symptoms range from person to person and can be so different, and at this stage, unfortunately, they haven’t been able to find a cure, but there’s definitely some positive signs out there at the moment.”