When I read about the study being undertaken by Genuity Science it was a ‘no brainer for me’; I just had to take part. I immediately contacted my neurologist and requested that I be included. I believe that everyone should ‘pay it forward’. My contribution to this study will not benefit me personally; it’s for the generations, for those that come after me. There is nothing in it for me. I’m doing it because I firmly believe it is the right thing to do.

I have been living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for more than 32 years and any chance I get to add to the growing volume of information on this nefarious disease, I jump at it and I believe that others should do likewise. Knowledge is power and the knowledge we acquire will help.

Taking part was easy. I made an appointment with the study nurse in my local hospital. On the day of my appointment I gave a number of vials of blood and answered questions on my Multiple Sclerosis journey and because I am not shy about talking about my MS, it was easy.

When I was diagnosed in 1988 there was no MRI scanner and no medications available. That has changed immensely and now we have T3 scanners and a plethora of medications to choose from. Now we need help in choosing which medication we use; picking a medication should not be a guessing game.

Taking part was fantastic. It gave me a feeling of doing something constructive. Things have improved a lot since 1988 and this is largely due to the thousands of people all over the world who have willingly taken part; not all research is productive but unless it is undertaken we will never know and it is long road between study and results. We must be patient.

Any study or research that may help People living with MS, or any other incurable illness, is good and should be supported by those of us who can. Like climate change we owe It to future generations to do our part.

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