We are on the cusp of May, the most important month in the global MS calendar.
Our single most important fundraising event for MS research – the iconic May50K – gets underway on May 1. I’ve been in training for the last two months with the ambition of undertaking not one, but two half marathons at either end of the month. The first – on May 4 – will be the Sydney Half, and the second, the Arctic Midnight Half, on World MS Day – May 30 – in Greenland.
I’m pushing my arthritic joints to the limit for my cousin, Claire, who lives with primary progressive MS, and my niece’s partner, Jo, who has relapsing remitting MS.
Like so many people living with MS, they are completely amazing people, whose resilience, positivity and cheerfulness in the face of their challenges inspires every step I take.
If you haven’t signed up for the May50K, please do if you can, or consider supporting one of the thousands of participants giving their all for our life-changing research. You can even support my challenge here.
Much else is happening. MS Australia is working in collaboration with our very good colleagues at MS Canada to host an inaugural workshop this week to kickstart our prevention and early detection global research initiative.
This is an important global initiative under the Pathways to Cures research roadmap that seeks to build on work to find ways to stop MS before it starts through prevention and ultra-early detection and intervention.
Our participation as a co-leader with MS Canada has been made possible by a very generous bequest from the late Annemarie Watson.
The federal election is on the home strait. And while health has featured prominently – with commitments to more bulk-billing and cheaper medications welcomed – we remain disappointed that medical research has been neglected and the NDIS has been on the back-burner.
Don’t miss our latest Raw Nerve podcast episode, chewing through key health issues that have been canvassed -or neglected – in the campaign so far.
I will have more to say about that when I speak at the Australasian Neurological Conference in Perth on May 1.
Preparations for our own MSA research conference – Causes, Care, Cures – are well advanced, so please mark it in your calendars for Brisbane on December 3-5.
And finally, on World MS Day, we will be launching new and updated lifestyle guides along with related survey results. These will be announced at Government House in Canberra with the support of our new co-Patron, the Governor General, Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC.
Best wishes to all May50K participants and our supporters.
