Meet Emma

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at the age of 12, it took Gold Coast woman Emma Thomson another 13 years to accept the reality of her condition – 13 years before she told any of her friends. 

“The first indication that there was something wrong came one Sunday at Nippers -I kept falling over when I was trying to run along the beach. Then, when I got home, mum remembers me holding on to the wall as I was walking up the stairs.  
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“There was a long period of time when I was completely fine, like I was just a ‘normal’ teenager. So, I didn't tell anyone, not even my friends. I deleted all the emails, got rid of every bit of information I was given and completely blocked it out. Until I hit 25, which is when things started to go downhill."  
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“After an incident at school, when I couldn't get up off the floor, they got really worried and booked me in with a paediatrician, who sent me straight to a neurologist.” 

Deep in denial, Emma didn’t just keep her diagnosis to herself, she routinely skipped medication. 

“By that point, I was in hospital for apheresis every second day – a process like a blood transfusion, where you get blood taken out, cleansed and then put back in. I had no choice but to come clean to my friends. I wasn’t getting around well and I couldn’t cover it up any longer.” 

Their response to the news, Emma says, was ‘great’.  

“One immediately started looking it up and reading all about MS, one got angry at me for not telling her, and one just said ‘oh, it's all making sense now’!” 

Today, Emma is 36 and immensely grateful not only for the unfailing support of her family and friends, but for the generosity of MS Queensland’s supporters and Brissie to the Bay riders. 
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“The funding that makes these services possible is life changing. When you have a disability, it’s so important to have expertise to fall back on – none of us can do this alone.  

“I just wish I’d been willing to reach out for the support sooner. The people are fantastic and the gym at the Neuro Wellness Hub is the best thing I've ever come across; the equipment is incredible.  
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“Even so, it’s not easy talking openly about having MS, but I know it’s important that I do. Once, when I was in with my neurologist, I saw a young girl sitting with her parents, visibly annoyed with them and trying to keep them out of her appointment. I desperately wanted to say to her, ‘we have all felt the same – I have been there – but you need them, and you need to do this. Blocking it out doesn’t stop the illness, it just stops the help’.