Paint the town red for MS

SUFFERING from prolonged dizziness and vertigo, it took several doctors and finally a neurologist to diagnose Kate Casey with multiple sclerosis at the age of 18.

MS is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system, impacting more young people in Australia than any other chronic p r o g r e s s i v e neurological disorder.

More than 25,600 people in Australia have MS, including 3700 Queenslanders, with more than 10 Australians diagnosed with it every week.

Now an Ambassador for MS Queensland, Ms Casey, 34, said the condition affected each person’s central nervous system differently.

“What happens is the protective sheathing that sits around nerves, which is called myelin, gets destroyed by your own immune system leaving your nerves unprotected,” Ms Casey said. “You end up with all sorts of symptoms, depending on where this happens in your central nervous system.”

These ranged from numbness, tingling, vertigo, vision and sensory problems, muscular and strength issues.

While there was no known cause or cure for MS, she said there were many therapeutic and technological advances that helped people manage symptoms.

Living with MS has not prevented Ms Casey from completing university studies and going on to pursue a rewarding career in IT.

She said there were two local groups offering support for people with MS in the Townsville region.

To mark world MS Day on Sunday, Ms Casey said Townsville’s support groups gathered at the city’s local landmarks, which turned red to create awareness and to promote a sense of connection.

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