Bronwyn was no stranger to multiple sclerosis; her mother was diagnosed with MS when she was 8 years old. However, this did not soften the blow when Bronwyn herself was diagnosed in 2003.
When I was first diagnosed, I left the neurologist’s office and thought it was the end of the world. I sat for several hours in one of the iconic Canberra bus stops and thought about what multiple sclerosis had done to my mother and what it could mean for me.
Having received the diagnosis just a few months after starting her first job out of university Bronwyn was initially told she would be lucky to still be employed three to five years after her diagnosis.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Bronwyn had an illustrious career as a public servant for the next 17 years. All while living with multiple sclerosis and engaging with MS Plus Support and services for the last 20 years.
Taking on the baton as an MS Ambassador was something Bronwyn decided to do not only to support the MS community and share her story, but also to create awareness of the disease and assist with fundraising to find more information and treatments for MS.
There are many, including my sister who also has MS, who are not able to take on the role of ambassador because MS is so onerous on them. I am one of the more fortunate people with MS who has kept her ability to be active. I do this to show my gratitude to MS Plus for the assistance and opportunities they have provided my entire life, since my mother was diagnosed with MS when I was in primary school.
For Bronwyn, her MS journey began with nocturnal epilepsy.
From being awake to heavy sleep, that was the scary time when I’d have fits. I’d be thrashing around beating up my husband. It would feel like I’d run a marathon because of what my muscles had been doing during the fit.
In her own words MS has added an "additional passenger" to her life which brings along with it pain, discomfort, confusion, despair, self-doubt, a mountain range of ongoing medical costs, depression, cognitive decline and mobility issues.
Amongst these challenges, Bronwyn has always been a creative at heart and in 2011 received a MS Go for Gold Scholarship for Education. Her dream was to write a children’s book, which thanks to the Scholarship from MS Plus is a reality and was published in 2023.
Writing and being creative is an activity I can do, irrespective of my health status, and as a result, I am now a full-time author. I am beyond proud that my first children’s book was released in late 2023.
Bronwyn and her family have been keen supporters of the MS Walk Run + Roll events for a few years now. Bronwyn enjoys attending the events to share her story with her local community in Canberra and tell them about the strategies she uses to navigate the highs and lows of life.
My aim is to educate my community while helping to break down barriers, achieve my goals and live well with MS.
Bronwyn and her family will be taking part in the 2024 MS Walk Run + Roll this May after an amazing turn of events at the 2023 event!
I was super lucky because my youngest daughter ran 10km and was the first person under 18 to finish and I got to give her a youth medal! That was a surprising turn of events that I will always remember.
Bronwyn's message to all the fundraisers is a simple but powerful one!
Have fun, do it to fight MS. Enjoy the fundraising, make memories when fundraising and at the event, and let's beat MS together. See you there!
