Miners’ Promise Director Rebecca Morton-Stephens is already 48km’s in to her 60km goal to Leave MS Behind with the Kiss Goodbye to MS May 50k fundraising event.

Rebecca, or Bek as she’s known to her friends, is Rio Tinto’s Superintendent Health Services & Injury Management and a very passionate Miners’ Promise Director (and talented hockey player). With Bek’s permission, we’re sharing her reflection into life with MS – from first symptoms to best friends.
 
REFLECTION
Tonight’s 5km was clocked up on the hockey turf.  It was at hockey training over a decade ago that I first started experiencing symptoms of MS when the vision in my left eye began to blur intermittently. At the time I thought my eyes were not coping with the bright lights we trained under.  Little did I know, this was a classic and early sign of the demyelination that was occurring in my central nervous system, and my MS journey began soon after this.

Jump forward 9 years and the next serious attack also reared its ugly head on the hockey field, when the toes in my right foot became tingly and numb. Initially I thought I’d taped my foot too tightly with strapping tape, however after I removed the tape the altered sensation remained and I realised there might be more at play….. By the next morning both my feet and legs were completely numb.

Luckily my MS is still in the relapsing/remitting phase, which means I’ve regained most of my sight and lower limb sensation back. New medications have given me hope that my relapses will be far less frequent or severe than they might’ve been if I’d been diagnosed a decade earlier…. for this I feel extraordinarily lucky.

But we don’t yet have a cure, and until we do, all people living with MS live in fear of what might go next, and how long they have before things stop recovering and permanent disability sets in. This at times can be absolutely terrifying.
This campaign is about finding a cure, and we can only do that through scientific research. Please know that your donations give so much hope to those of us with MS!

Miners’ Promise is extremely proud of you Bek and we wish you all the very best for your 60km’s and for even greater fundraising success! So far, Bek has already raised $7,133.90 – if you would like to donate, please click here – please give generously and let’s all work together to find a cure for MS.